Prism
by Xenobia
Summary: *Censored version*. Genesis Rhapsodos has awoken and returned, now that the crisis of Omega has been averted. When he offers to assist with the environmental restoration efforts, ShinRa and the WRO hesitantly allow him to work with them. Rufus assigns the Turks to keep a close eye on him and discover what hidden motives he may have. Het content, language, mature themes.
1. Chapter 1

"Prism"

Chapter 1

A FF7 fanfiction

* * *

_**Author's note: **This idea came to me and I couldn't let go of it, so I wanted to get it started while it was fresh on my mind. How quickly it gets updated depends on how other projects go and how my personal life treats me. Chapters with censored content will have an author's note at the top. You can read uncencsored chapters at Archive of our Own. The link is under my profile._

* * *

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy and all characters therein are the property of Square-Enix. This fanfiction is a strictly non-profit endeavor meant for entertainment purposes, only.

* * *

"He's looking at you again."

Elena glanced in the general direction of the "he" Cissnei was speaking of, and a little thrill of danger went through her when she saw those lazy, Mako-bright eyes on her.

"Shh," she muttered out the corner of her mouth, pretending to return her attention to the data processor. "Stop looking back. He's just trying to get under my skin."

"I'm not sure it's your skin he's interested in 'getting under'," teased Cissnei.

"Well, I am," insisted Elena. She brushed her long, flaxen bangs aside when they hung over her eye and impeded her vision. "I wasn't exactly diplomatic toward him, the day he showed up. He's just trying to make me nerv—_shit!_"

Elena hastily went back to the previous screen and attempted to retrieve the file she'd accidentally deleted. "Oh, no," she moaned under her breath. "The Director is going to kill me!"

"You're _dating_ him," reminded the petite brunette at her side, "He's not going to kill you. You can get the file from the backup folder, anyhow. Just don't accidentally empty it before you do."

"I'm not so sure about the 'dating' part," sighed Elena, speaking in a bare whisper to keep it between them. "He's still so…distant. I always feel like we're out on a business luncheon or dinner when he takes me anywhere, and he kisses me like I'm his sister at the end of them."

Cissnei's nose crinkled, her brown eyes softening with sympathy. "Hmm. Maybe he's just a slow starter? You need to try to dig a little more…get him to open up to you."

Elena grimaced, thinking of all the times she'd awkwardly tried to do just that. "I'm beginning to think he's never really been into me."

"Then why did he start asking you out?"

The blonde shook her head. "I'm still trying to figure that out."

She still wanted him…still felt her pulse quicken when those dark eyes met hers. Tseng was everything she'd ever wanted in a man. He was intelligent, powerful, sexy, confident and handsome. Unfortunately, he was also somewhat cold and aloof. Getting him to "open up" was a lot easier said than done.

She still felt the SOLDIER operative's aqua gaze on her and she nearly made another mistake. Maybe trying to shoot him when he showed up at the new Headquarters wasn't the brightest idea she'd ever had, but who could really blame her? Like every other Turk, she'd read the files on him. It was required reading for a Turk to know the company's history and enemies, and having one of the major antagonists from the past come back from the dead and show up at ShinRa's doorstep didn't exactly inspire warm fuzzies.

"Ladies," Rhapsodos' voice said, startling Elena out of her thoughts, "how are you progressing?"

"I'm finished," announced Cissnei in satisfaction. She ejected the data stick from the computer and pocketed it, before standing up and going over to the security monitors. "So far, so good. They don't seem to be onto us."

Genesis' piercing gaze settled on Elena again, unblinking. "And you?"

"I'm getting there," she said.

_~Don't let him make you nervous. He's flesh and blood. Just another guy. A really powerful, unpredictable guy that can grow a wing, create fire out of nothing, obliterate any one of us in a duel and communicate with the planet.~_

Elena cursed as she made another mistake. "You could be helping with this, you know." She did her best to keep her voice even as she looked at Genesis with accusing hazel eyes.

"I doubt you would thank me for it, if I made the attempt." He leaned back in his chair and he stretched long, leather-clad legs out, crossing his booted ankles over one another. "My computer skills are not only limited; but dated. The operating systems have changed while I slept."

"Excuses, excuses," muttered the blonde Turk. She saw his mouth curve into a quiet, crooked smile and she admitted to herself that crazy or not, dangerous or not, the man had sex appeal.

"Um, I think you need to hurry it up, Elena," Cissnei warned, gesturing at the security monitors. "The night guards are starting their rounds."

Elena nodded, pushing down the sense of urgency those words inspired, so as not to make yet another mistake. Reno had procured the codes to get them past the electronic security, but it was up to them to avoid human detection. Their job was to hack the database using Reeve's security virus, get the classified information and get out as quietly as possible. Every fight stood the risk of attracting unwanted attention and ruining the mission. The Junon crime lord they were stealing from had connections with the media, and ShinRa didn't need any further scandals.

"I've almost got it," Elena murmured, her eyes flicking over the screen as her fingertips tapped the keyboard. "But I still think Tuesti should be the one doing this," she muttered in afterthought. Alas, Reeve had too many other responsibilities, though.

"Elena," Cissnei called in warning, "they're in this wing. We've got to go before they make it to this data room, if we want a clean break."

The security guard lying cuffed on the floor moaned at that moment, stirring from his materia-induced "nap". Genesis looked down at him, turned in his seat and kicked him in the temple with almost casual indifference. The security guard lapsed back into silence, knocked out once again. Genesis got out of his chair and he stepped over the man, approaching Cissnei's side to examine the situation.

"She's right. Our time is running out."

"I know," snapped Elena. She felt herself break into a sweat and she wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. "Got it," she said a moment later, when the last file completed the transfer.

She hastily took out the data stick and shut down the windows. "Let's get going."

* * *

Leaving turned out to be simpler than getting in—at least, at first. Since they couldn't go back the way they came without getting spotted by the building patrol, they took the fire escape up to the roof. Elena contacted Reno and Rude to let them know their status and she shared a relieved smile with Cissnei when they confirmed they were on their way with the chopper.

"That wasn't so bad," Elena said in satisfaction, wiping her hands on her black uniform pants.

She spoke too soon. A moment later, they could hear the sound of alarms going off inside the building and it was only a matter of time before security checked the roof. Their cover was blown.

"Damn," muttered Elena. "We'd better find cover and hope Reno gets here with our ride before they search the roof."

Genesis manifested his great, raven wing, spreading it out to its full length. "Or, I could carry you both to a different rooftop location, before our new friends arrive to play."

Both young women stared at him, having forgotten about his wing in the rush to escape. He shrugged and folded the feathery appendage close to his body again. "Unless a row is more to your liking. Ladies' choice; I have no compunctions."

Cissnei and Elena looked at each other, before looking back at him. "Can you carry both of us at once?" Cissnei asked dubiously.

He smirked. "I can't imagine the two of you together weighing much more than fourteen stone. I'll manage." He held his arms open and he beckoned with his hands. "Hurry, if you're certain you'd rather not fight them."

Elena wisely got out her cell as she and Cissnei approached Genesis, and she called Rude again. "Change of plans. Track my cell, okay? We can't wait for you at this location."

"Understood," answered Rude.

Elena put the phone away and she hesitated, looking up at the winged man warily. Cissnei didn't hesitate to put her arms around his neck, and Genesis had one arm around her slender waist. Elena, however, could easily imagine the man dropping her to her death, once they were up in the air.

"Flee or fight," murmured Genesis, his bright gaze subtly amused on her. "Make your choice."

She sighed, hoping this wasn't a mistake. She put her arms around his torso, since Cissnei's had hers around his neck. Genesis' free arm embraced her and he held both women close as he flapped his great wing. Cissnei made a squeaking sound in the back of her throat and she hid her face against his shoulder as they began their ascent. Elena looked down at the street below as Genesis began to carry her and her partner over the buildings, and she regretted it.

"Don't you _dare_ drop us," she warned, her jaw clenching nervously. His auburn hair tickled her cheek and she could smell some exotic scent in it. She wondered fleetingly what kind of shampoo he used.

"You might want to consider a more civil tone," suggested Genesis, "given the position you're in, right now."

"She won't say another word," blurted Cissnei, "_will you, Elena_?"

At the moment, the blonde Turk was too anxious to disagree with that. "I…I'm sorry."

"That's better." Genesis' tone was smugly satisfied and despite her fear of being dropped, Elena gave him an annoyed look.

* * *

The day after the data retrieval assignment, Reeve had it all analyzed and he went over it with Rufus in his office.

"Genesis was right," explained Reeve as he sat down on the other side of Rufus' desk. "Romano is funding an illegal Mako refining operation in the Mythril mines. The profit records are all here, as well as the names of who he distributes to."

Rufus took the folder offered to him and he opened it up to review the printed documents. He flipped through the pages for a few moments before glancing back up at Reeve. "It begs the question: Did he really know this because he heard it from the planet, or did he simply stumble across this information some other way?"

"I wish I could answer that," sighed Reeve. He scratched his beard and looked out the window. Edge was slowly beginning to resemble a city again, and once it was rebuilt, efforts to restore old Midgar could begin. "All I know is that so far, every 'hunch' Genesis has had has been right. If he's putting us on, he's doing a damned fine job of it."

"Hmm, agreed." Rufus absently tapped his pen on the desk and he looked down at the documents with narrowed, pensive blue-gray eyes. "We obviously need to put a stop to this operation, and immediately afterwards, we'll need to call a press conference exposing Romano. We can't afford to allow him to pull strings and gain media influence before we get the truth out. ShinRa has enough black marks."

"Then let the WRO handle it," suggested Reeve. "Send some of your people in with mine, along with some journalists to document the raid. If we already have press on the site when we move in on it, Romano can't twist events into his favor."

The sandy-blond young president nodded. "I like your thinking, Tuesti. Very well, since it was your idea, I'll allow you to head the operation. Take Reno, Rude and Cissnei with you as representatives of ShinRa Inc. We need people to see that we're working _with_ the WRO to improve people's lives and maintain order."

Reeve looked faintly uncomfortable. "I wasn't exactly suggesting that I should personally be in on the operation. I have a million things to do and—"

"Do we want to repair the reputation of this company and see to it that this is done right, or not?" Rufus interjected.

Reeve sighed. "Of course." He was,  
after all, still getting his funding from ShinRa.

* * *

"Dammit."

Reeve left the president's office and he sighed once he was in the hallway. He half wished he hadn't opened his big mouth and made the suggestion about the WRO handling the Mythril Mines operation, but he truly believed it was in the best interest of both organizations _and_ the world for them to cooperate with each other and redeem ShinRa in the eyes of society. It would take years to build a foundation of trust, but as long as the WRO remained in good standing with the public, the union between them could only speed things along.

"Hi, Commissioner."

The sweet, familiar voice brought a little smile to Reeve's lips, and he turned to see Cissnei of the Turks approaching down the corridor. She walked with a little bounce in her step—a sign that she was in a good mood.

"Good morning, Cissnei." Reeve gave her a friendly nod. "You're looking chipper."

She put her hands into the pockets of her black dress slacks as she stopped before him, and she gave him a dimpled smile. "I'm getting a new car tomorrow; one of the new hybrids. I'm in a good mood."

"Good for you," he enthused—both because she was being energy smart and because he knew it would be the first automobile she'd ever owned. "If you need any advice, just let me know."

She nibbled her lower lip and gave him a slightly embarrassed look. "Actually, I was coming to find you about that." Her brown eyes seemed a little shy as they gazed up at him. "I don't really know much about cars, and who better than an engineer to bring with when I go shopping? I know you're busy, but I'm a little worried the salespeople might try to take advantage of my ignorance."

"I think I can spare a couple of hours to help you out," offered Reeve solicitously, charmed by the young woman's expressed trust in him. "What do you say we hit the lots after lunch?"

She smiled at him again. "Would you? That would be perfect. I really appreciate the help, Mr. Tuesti."

"Please, call me Reeve when we're in a casual situation," insisted the engineer. "By the way, the president wants you on my team."

"Team?" she repeated with interest.

Reeve nodded. "That data that you and your partner retrieved had the evidence we needed. We'll be conducting a raid on an illegal Materia processing operation in Mythril Mines in a couple of days."

"Oh! Who else is going?"

"Aside from my choice of WRO operatives, Reno and Rude," answered Reeve. "I assume the others have duties that will keep them from participating." Though they were partners, Cissnei and Elena still went on solo assignments or with separate groups, from time to time.

Cissnei nodded. "Probably. We've all been so busy. Well, I'm looking forward to doing my part. Just send me the briefing files whenever you've got them."

"I will." Reeve smiled. He checked his watch with a reluctant sigh. "Well my dear, I'm afraid I've got to be going now. I have less charming people to deal with, unfortunately."

She giggled. "Me too. I'll see you tomorrow, Reeve."

* * *

Elena came out of the side hallway after Reeve and Cissnei parted ways, and she fell into step with her partner as they both continued down the main corridor to Tseng's office.

"Oh, Commissioner Tuesti," Elena said in a high-pitched, breathy imitation of Cissnei's voice, "I'm just a sweet, ignorant girl that can't tell the front end of a car from the back! Won't you _please_ come with me and protect me from the big, bad car salesmen?" She batted her eyelashes at Cissnei in an exaggerated manner.

The auburn-haired Turk nudged her, grinning in spite of herself. "I did _not_ act like that."

"Please," countered Elena, grinning back. "You're in denial, girl. You flirt with that man every chance you get."

"I do not," protested Cissnei. "He's nice, that's all. I like him."

"Yes, I _know_ you like him," agreed Elena. "Hence the flirting."

"It's not flirting."

Elena tucked her bangs behind her ear and regarded the other woman dryly. "You have some serious denial happening."

"Do we have to talk about men?" muttered Cissnei with annoyance. "There _are_ other things in the universe to discuss."

Elena shrugged. "True, but you weren't flirting with those other things five minutes ago. Besides, Reno and Rude talk about women all the time. I don't see why we can't talk about men."

"I _wasn't flirting_!"

The blonde chuckled, glancing out a window as they passed it. The new headquarters building would be complete in approximately a year, and there were construction scaffolds outside, still. "You're so deep in denial."

"Ugh…okay, if you want to play hardball, we'll play hardball. Speaking of denial, have you seen Genesis yet, today?"

Elena's face instantly went hot, then cold. She shrugged, keeping her tone casual. "No. He hasn't been in, as far as I know. I'm not in denial about anything."

"You think he's sexy."

Elena snorted. "I never said he wasn't sexy. He's also a killer."

"Like us?"

The blonde gave her companion a sidelong look. "Okay, you win. No more talk about boys."

"Yess," hissed Cissnei with a delicate fist-pump in the air. "Cissnei 2, Elena 0."

Elena bumped her hip against the brunette's. "What do you mean, 'Cissnei 2'? You only get one point."

"I awarded myself a bonus point for good use of psychological warfare."

Elena rolled her eyes. "Bitch."

* * *

Tseng stood up when the two women entered his office, and he gestured cordially at the chairs opposite his desk. "Please, have a seat. I'd like to go over upcoming work assignments with you both."

Elena and Cissnei dutifully sat down, the former crossing her legs and the latter placing her hands on her knees. Tseng took a seat as well and he threaded his long fingers together over the top of his desk.

"The president has informed me of an illegal operation in Mythril Mines. Cissnei, you'll be on the team assisting Reeve and his WRO operatives, when they go to shut down the activity."

The brunette nodded respectfully. "Yes sir. I spoke to Commissioner Tuesti about it outside the president's office, just moments before you paged."

Tseng nodded and looked at the blonde. "Elena, we have a separate investigation to conduct, and we'll be leaving Edge tomorrow morning. Two-guns and Javetz will be accompanying us. We are to investigate the island masses to the northeast of this continent."

"What are we investigating _for_, Director?"

Tseng hesitated, his straight black brows drawing together slightly beneath the bindi mark on his forehead. "Allegedly, we can find naturally formed materia orbs somewhere in the forests on one of those islands. As you know, good materia is in short supply these days, now that we're no longer synthetically producing it. We can't pass up the chance to restock."

"Absolutely, sir," agreed Elena. She frowned as a thought occurred to her. Tseng hadn't seemed very comfortable about the reason for this assignment, and she had a sinking suspicion. "Director, did this information happen to come from Rhapsodos?"

"Yes," admitted Tseng, but he followed it up with a stern reminder. "Bear it in mind, however, that none of the information that he's supplied since joining our cause has been inaccurate."

"I know," she sighed, trying to keep her tone respectful, "but I just question _where_ he's getting this information from? What's the actual source?"

"You don't believe he's communicating with the planet?"

Elena hesitated, and Cissnei picked at an imaginary thread in the cuff of her blazer. She would get no help on that front. "I don't want to be disrespectful," said the blonde carefully, reminding herself that Tseng was a rather spiritual man. "We've all seen some pretty strident evidence that the Lifestream is sentient, over the years. There was Aerith Gainsborough, for one—"

She saw it then; a barely perceptible flicker of emotion in those almond-shaped eyes at the mention of that name. Elena faltered for a moment, struggling with uncharitable feelings of jealousy and annoyance. After all these years, did he _still_ pine for that flower girl?

"I think what my partner is trying to say, sir," Cissnei obliged, picking up where Elena left off, "is that we're taking Rhapsodos' word for it that he's hearing the planet. We haven't confirmed the truth of that, yet."

"Which is why we've been assigned to keep as close an eye on him as we can," reminded Tseng. "True, we can only get as close as he'll allow if we want to maintain a diplomatic rapport with the man, but I trust my Turks to listen to their instincts. We may always have to be on our guard when dealing with this man, but we can't overlook the results we've had so far."

"Yes sir," agreed Elena. Her thoughts were no longer focused on the question of whether Genesis was telling the truth about his sources, however. They were on a certain honey-haired Ancient—the last of her kind known on Gaia—and Tseng's covert obsession with her.

* * *

When the women left his office and he was alone again, Tseng opened his laptop computer and turned it on. When it finished loading, he sought out a hidden, restricted file folder and he opened it. He browsed through digital copies of old documents and photos, until he came to the last, most recent one he had of her. He stared at the young woman in the photo for a long time, remembering when they were on friendly terms with each other and he'd dared to hope she might come to feel the same way for him as he felt for her.

Tseng unlocked one of the side drawers in his desk, and he opened it to retrieve a bottle of his favorite liqueur. He also retrieved a glass from the same drawer and he poured a drink for himself. He sipped at the beverage as he stared at the image on his screen, and he wished he'd gotten the chance—just once—to free that long, thick hair from the braid she always wore it in and run his fingers through it.

"Aerith."

* * *

She'd always known Tseng liked the Ancient, but she'd dared to hope that after her death and the passage of time, he would move on, if not forget about her. Now Elena began to suspect that his feelings for Aerith ran deeper than infatuation. Maybe the reason he was so aloof was because he was in love with her, and maybe he always would be.

"How the hell do you compete with a memory?" she sighed.

Elena tapped her fingers absently on the surface of her desk, glancing at the forgotten cup of coffee sitting nearby. She shouldn't be drinking coffee at this hour, anyway. She'd need to get some rest tonight, if she was going to be worth anything in the morning. She supposed she could always counter the caffeine with a drink before bed, but she was feeling down and she didn't like to imbibe while depressed.

"Stupid Tseng," she muttered, "and his stupid Ancient." She looked at the group Turk photo hanging on the wall of hers and Cissnei's office, and she flipped it off, intending the gesture specifically for the raven-haired man in the center. She followed up the gesture by sticking her tongue out at him and blowing a raspberry, for good measure.

"Nyaah! Pfffft!"

The buzz of her mobile phone startled her out of her childish behavior and she blushed at the thought of the object of her frustration somehow catching sight of her actions. Elena dragged her bangs out of her eyes and she checked the phone. She sighed when she saw the ID on it and she willed herself to stop blushing.

"Hey, Ciss. What's up?"

"Are you still at the office?" Cissnei's voice sounded exasperated. "Elena, you finished your paperwork a half hour before I left! What could you possibly have left to do, there?"

Elena grimaced. She wasn't about to tell her friend that she'd been spending more time inwardly bitching about Tseng than doing anything productive. "I thought I'd do a little research on the goblin islands, before I leave the office. I don't want to go unprepared."

"So in other words, you forgot we had plans to shoot pool tonight," reasoned Cissnei. "Me, you, Rude and Reno, remember?"

Elena blinked. She had in fact forgotten that they had plans. "Oh, that. Ugh, I'm sorry…I completely forgot. I'm so caught up in all this work, it's a wonder I can even remember how to tie my shoes."

She heard Reno's voice call out in the background. "Tell Blondie to get her ass over here! We can't play teams without a fourth person!"

Cissnei chuckled. "Well, you heard him. You know he's going to pile more paperwork on you as punishment, if you don't show. Come to 7th Heaven as soon as you leave, okay?"

Elena wasn't really feeling up to shooting pool right now, but she couldn't concentrate to do research either, and she needed a distraction. "All right. I'll be there soon."

* * *

After shutting down her computer and locking up, Elena left the office she shared with Cissnei and she walked down the corridor to the elevator. She passed the janitor on the way and she checked her watch. It wasn't as late as she thought. Winter was setting in and the days were shorter. Her stomach growled and she made a mental note to get a plate of onion rings or hot wings, when she got to the bar and grill. She checked her keys as she reached the elevator and she tapped her foot after pushing the button. The cheerful little chime sound warned that the car had reached her floor, and Elena took a step back in case there was anyone inside planning to get off there.

She wasn't prepared for the sight of Genesis Rhapsodos standing in there, when the doors opened.

She blinked stupidly at him and he just stood there looking back, his Mako-reflective gaze unreadable. The doors began to close and he lifted one auburn brow in question. Elena hastily reached out to stop them and Genesis wedged a boot between them as well, upon seeing her action.

"Going down?" he queried with a subtle smirk.

Maybe it was her imagination, but she detected a sexual innuendo in his tone and choice of words. She nearly declined, wracking her brain to come up with some excuse—such as forgetting something at the last minute. She could see by the way he was looking at her that he would guess it was a fib, though. She wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of letting him unsettle her.

"Yes, thanks." Elena stepped into the elevator with him and she detected that scent again as the doors shut. The exotic fragrance of whatever hair products he used combined with the scent of leather, resulting in an alluring distraction.

"Which floor?" He asked.

Her mind drew a blank. Floor…floor. Oh, right, the parking garage.

"G." She saw him smirk, and she immediately guessed why. "And that's not 'G' for 'Genesis', so get over yourself."

"Aren't you in a pleasant mood," he murmured, pushing the button. "What has you so troubled, little flaxen Turk?"

"I have a name," she reminded him. The doors shut and the elevator began its descent with a sickening lurch, provoking her to grab the support rail against the wall.

"Yes, you do," he agreed. "Elena."

Somehow, he managed to caress her name with his voice. Elena looked down and made a show of checking her text messages. "Then please call me by my name."

She immediately regretted her request when he spoke her name again.

"Very well, Elena."

She cleared her throat and kept absently fiddling with her phone, avoiding eye contact with him. The elevator chimed with each floor and she mentally counted, wishing she'd reach her floor or he would get off on another one.

"You should consider growing your hair out."

That made her go still, and she looked up from the device to meet his eyes. He was scanning her hair with them in a thoughtful way, and then his eyes settled on hers again. "I think longer hair would suit you."

"It would get in the way," she answered, "and I'm used to it being short."

"Hmm, a pity. You have such delicate bone structure."

She couldn't decide whether he sounded like a gay barber or a guy trying to hit on her. She blamed it on the poetry and his elegant speech and manners. It was on the tip of her tongue to blurt an inquiry concerning his sexuality, but the elevator reached her floor and stopped.

"Well, this is me," Elena said when the doors slid open. "I guess I'll see you at the airport tomorrow. Goodnight."

He gave her a courteous little bow, his vivid gaze never leaving hers. "Until later."

Elena willed herself not to hurry as she left the elevator and headed for her car. Now she had confusion to go with the range of uncertain emotions the man evoked in her.

* * *

When Elena arrived at 7th Heaven, she waved at her Turk companions before heading to the bar. Tifa stood behind it, washing some glasses. The barmaid glanced up and smiled at her when she saw her coming, all past grievances forgotten in light of more recent events. "Hi, Elena. I'm glad you're here...Reno's complaints were getting on my nerves."

Elena returned the smile. "He's good at drawing attention to himself. How has business been?" She unzipped her blazer and shrugged out of it to get more comfortable. Tifa had the heat turned up tonight.

"I can't complain, all things considered." Tifa shrugged. "What can I get for you tonight?"

Elena considered it. "Can I get a plate of onion rings and a pitcher of lager?"

"Sure thing."

Tifa wrote down the order and she clipped it to the rotating wheel hanging in the kitchen window, before ringing the bell to get the cook's attention. She poured the pitcher of beer and set out four frosty mugs on the drink tray. The little bell hanging over the door of the bar rang as the tavern door opened, and Elena turned to see Cloud Strife traipsing into the establishment. He saw the Turks at the pool table, gave them a nod of recognition, and then continued on to the stairs. He gave Elena a nod of greeting in passing as well and he spared a hint of a smile for Tifa. He took his gloves off and went through the back door to go up the stairs, not saying a word.

"Hmph...he's chatty as always," observed Elena. She gathered the drink tray and the pitcher.

Tifa shrugged and wiped the bar down. "He's Cloud."

Elena smirked at that, and she went to join her coworkers. Rude took the pitcher from her and Cissnei handed out the mugs as he poured them. Elena gave Reno a challenging look when she saw him chalking up his poolstick.

"You're going to get your ass kicked, Red."

He winked at her. "Bring it, Blondie."

Cissnei leaned up against Rude and took a sip of her beer. "Why don't we switch? Does it have to be guys against girls?"

Elena and Reno looked at each other. "I don't think that would be fair," Elena said.

Cissnei gave her an annoyed look. "Why not?"

"'Cause you both suck," Reno said with a grin. "Rude, you team up with Elena. Otherwise this is gonna end way too fast."

The bald man and the petite brunette girl exchanged shrugs, and they switched places.

"Ready to lick my balls, Elena?" Reno asked as he lined up to break.

"I'm going to crush your balls," she promised evenly.

"Ooh, burn," Cissnei giggled.

"Hey!" Reno shot a glare over his shoulder at her. "Whose team are you on?"

"Just break, partner," Rude demanded.

"Pushy, pushy." Reno bent over the table and made his shot. The first ball to land in a pocket was the striped number 6. "All right, it's on," he said with a grin.

* * *

They nearly tied, but then Reno pulled off a trick shot at the last minute, and the game went to him and Cissnei.

"All right," sighed Elena. "I owe you a bottle of schnapps."

"Better have it on my desk by morning, toots," Reno said. He made as if to swat her bottom and she deftly caught his wrist and twisted it. "Ow, yo, I'm your superior!"

"We're off the clock." Elena released his hand. "And if you don't want me twisting something else, you won't try that again."

"Damn...she's mean." Reno gave Cissnei an expectant look. "Teach her how to be nicer, doll."

Cissnei shrugged. "You earned that."

"Puh...whatever. So do you gals need a lift home?" Reno checked his watch. "I know you've gotta be ready to head out on an assignment tomorrow, Elena. We'd better not keep you up too late."

That was the funny thing about Reno; as inappropriate as he could be, he had a contrasting sense of work ethic and responsibility that had carried him through the ranks quickly. He couldn't dress properly to save his life, but he never skimped on assignments or arrived late anywhere.

"I've got my car and I've only had a couple of beers," Elena said. "Ciss, do you want to take a cab with them or ride with me?"

Cissnei looked outside the window with a distracted expression on her small, heart-shaped face. "Um...actually, I think I've got another ride. I don't have to be anywhere early tomorrow, so you guys go ahead."

Elena turned to see Reeve Tuesti walking in, and she barely resisted a snicker. It was a little odd to see him coming to a place like this, but considering Cloud and Tifa were his personal friends, she supposed it made sense. She saw the flush on her partner's cheeks when she looked back at her. Cissnei was looking at her with a "Say anything and you die" expression.

"Well, have fun, Cissnei." Elena smirked, choosing not to pick on the other woman again so soon. There was only so much teasing Cissnei was willing to take, despite her sweet nature.

* * *

The next morning, Elena met up with Tseng, Javetz and Two-guns at the helicopter pad on top of the new headquarters building. She put her shades on to protect her eyes from the painful morning sun rays and she looked around with puzzlement.

"I thought Rhapsodos was supposed to be joining us?"

Tseng checked his watch. "He is, but we still have five minutes to deployment."

Elena huffed. "You'd think a SOLDIER operative would arrive before deployment time.

"I've noticed he prefers to be fashionably late," muttered Javetz. The wind blew some chestnut locks free of his ponytail and he tucked them back into place. "It's not very professional."

"My ears are scalded."

They turned at the sound of the voice and Javetz looked a bit uncomfortable as the red-clad Soldier approached. He must have flown up to the rooftop and landed behind them. He stopped before the group and he looked at the helicopter, his auburn bangs blowing across his eyes. "I take it everything is in order?"

Tseng nodded. "We're ready to go. Do you have everything you need, Lt. Rhapsodos?"

The Soldier reached up and back to pat the hilt of the red-bladed sword secured to the straps, there. "Yes. Shall we?"

Two-guns shrugged and started to board, but Genesis stretched his black wing out and suddenly blocked his way. He nodded at Elena. "I believe the rule is that ladies go first."

Elena was torn between the desire to punch him and the urge to place a bag over her head as the other men looked at her. "I...I'm a Turk. Gender doesn't..."

Genesis gestured again. "Your chariot awaits."

"Of course," agreed Tseng, a bare hint of amusement curving his lips at Elena's discomfort. "After you, agent."

Two-guns was smirking with amusement at her as she took the invitation, having no other choice. She poked him in the side and gave him a warning look as she passed by him and boarded the aircraft. The others came in behind her and Genesis boarded last. Elena gave him a warily puzzled look, again mired in a mixture of curiosity and mistrust. For once, he wasn't looking back at her. He'd procured his copy of "Loveless" from somewhere in that long jacket of his, and he began to read it as if there were nobody around him.

Shrugging, she strapped herself in and she smiled a little at Tseng when he secured the hatch and took a seat beside her. He didn't even look at her. Elena sighed. Men.

* * *

-To be continued


	2. Chapter 2

"Prism"

Chapter 2

A FF7 fanfiction

* * *

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy and all characters therein are the property of Square-Enix. This fanfiction is a strictly non-profit endeavor meant for entertainment purposes, only.

* * *

Cissnei absently chewed her nails as she looked the automobile over. "I like the color," she said, shrugging uncertainly. She looked up at the executive beside her and she hastily pulled her finger out of her mouth, reminding herself that nail biting wasn't a very attractive habit. "Reeve? What do you think?"

He looked the car over, and he nodded at the salesman. "Pop the hood, will you?"

The man obliged. "Sure thing, sir. This is a top quality car. She's safe, she's dependable, she's—"

"Got a poor engine," interrupted Reeve with a frown. "You'll be lucky to hit the minimum speed limit on the highway, with this little thing." He shook his head at the salesman. "Do you have something faster than a bicycle?"

The man's face fell, and he glanced at Cissnei. "We've got faster cars, but the little lady is after something eco-friendly, isn't she? For her price range, she won't find many fast hybrids. Now, if she's willing to bump her budget up by a couple of thousand, I might have something for her."

"Hmph." Reeve patted Cissnei's back. "I think it's time for us to look elsewhere. Come on, Cissnei."

"Wait," called the salesman as they started to leave. "I might be able to cut you a nice deal!" He jogged over and got in front of the couple. "Why don't you let me show you some of our used stock?"

Cissnei hated the thought of looking like an ignoramus, but she honestly didn't know enough about cars to say whether that was a good idea or not. She glanced sidelong at Reeve and she saw him shake his dark head in a very subtle gesture. She smiled sweetly at the salesman, and she linked arms with her companion.

"I think you've shown me enough, thanks. Sorry. I have five other places to look."

Reeve glanced down at her with mild surprise, but he didn't pull his arm away. He shrugged at the disappointed salesman. "Maybe a little more honesty from you could prevent this sort of thing from happening again in the future. Just a suggestion. Shall we, Cissnei?"

"We shall." She grinned at him.

* * *

They tried three other car parks, before they found something that Cissnei liked and Reeve approved of. The dealer allowed her to take it for a test drive and they took a spin around Edge in the little convertible.

"I _love_ convertibles!" yelled the brunette Turk as she drove down the highway. The wind felt good in her hair, and she shut her eyes to enjoy it.

"Uh, Cissnei," Reeve said nervously, "I don't mean to back-seat drive, but can you please watch the road?"

She opened her eyes, embarrassed for the lapse. She was a good driver; she drove the company cars all the time. Still, she didn't want to scare her companion. "Sorry. What do you think, Reeve? It handles really well!"

He smiled at her, his dark hair blowing over his eyes. "If you like it, I think you should get it. The engine checked out, and I can have a closer look at it when you get it home if you want. That way if there are any nasty, hidden surprises, we can take it right back to the dealership."

"You don't mind?"

He shook his head. "Of course not. I'm not about to let my favorite Turk get swindled."

She smiled at him, mindful to keep an eye on the road so as not to make him nervous. "I'm your favorite?"

He combed his fingers through his hair to get the wind-blown bangs out of his eyes. "Well...you're certainly more charming company than Reno. Rude is about as talkative as a brick wall, and Elena scares me."

Cissnei laughed. "Why does Elena scare you?"

"The woman's fierce," answered Reeve. "I'm always a little scared she's going to kick me in unpleasant places if I say the wrong thing."

"Oh?" Cissnei brought her laughter under control with difficulty. "I'm not fierce?"

Reeve considered her for a moment, his brown eyes scanning her briefly. "You pick your moments. When you're not on the clock, you're a real sweetheart."

"You haven't seen me during...um...never mind." Realizing what she was about to say, Cissnei clamped her mouth shut.

"During what?" He looked at her with interest. When she shook her head, he chuckled. "Come on, now. What were you about to say?"

"Something guys don't want to hear about," she hinted, blushing a little. "You know...that thing girls do every month that makes us all fangy."

"Oh." He covered his mouth and coughed politely, though his shoulders shook with silent laughter. "That. I'm an adult, my dear. I won't jump screaming from the car at the mention of natural body functions."

"Well anyway," she said, her face heating further over bringing up such a subject with a gentleman like him, "I'm not such a sweetheart when that's going on. Let's leave it at that."

Reeve winked. "Gotcha. No more talk of the...fangy moments in life."

She bit her lips, feeling an attack of schoolgirl giddiness. "We should probably get the car back and finish the purchase."

He nodded. "Ready when you are."

* * *

While Cissnei and Reeve were buying her first car, Elena was suffering two kinds of frustration on the islands dubbed "goblin islands". First, there was the issue of tracking down the alleged materia Genesis insisted was there. Then there were the actual goblins...the residents of the island. They split into two teams and used the special materia detection scanners engineered by Reeve. Just as she and Tseng reached a small cavern in the rocky hillside, they were beset by the odd little beasts.

"I thought the name of this place was a metaphor!" Elena yelled as she kicked one of them away and took Tseng's reaching hand. He helped her up on the broken column. The overgrown ruins suggested that once, there had been some form of civilization, here.

"Apparently not," answered the Turk Director. He fired a shot over her shoulder to make the goblin pursuing her rethink its path and back off.

She made it up beside him and she grimaced in sympathy when she saw the way he had one hand pressed against his left side. "How's the stomach, sir?"

He nodded. "I'll live. I'll just suffer some bruising."

"The little suckers move fast!" Elena was surprised that someone with Tseng's combat skills couldn't avoid the rapid punches thrown at him by one of the pointy-eared terrors.

"Yes, they do." Tseng fired at another one, hitting it in the head. The goblin fell to the ground with a cry and lay still. "Cover me while I check on the others."

"Yes sir." Elena checked her ammo clip and she chose her shots carefully, prioritizing firing at the closest ones that posed the greatest threat. More of the troublesome creatures were coming out of the surrounding forests, drawn by the sounds of gunfire and the hoots of their companions.

"Two-guns, what is your status?" Tseng asked. "Hmm, ours is much the same. Yes, they aren't particularly dangerous, unless you allow them to get close. Have Javetz cover you while you retrieve the materia you've found. Report back when you have it. Rhapsodos? I have no idea. He didn't stay with you?"

Elena rolled her eyes, guessing by the conversation that Genesis decided to take off on his own. She hated to admit it, but they could probably use his help, about now. As Tseng said, the goblins weren't exceptionally dangerous until they closed in on you, but they were growing in numbers and slowly surrounding her and her companion.

"Elena," Tseng said after replacing his phone, "I want you to go for that cave, while I provide a distraction. If we both run in there together, they'll only swarm us and trap us."

She nodded in agreement. "Ready when you are, Director."

Tseng pulled his left sleeve up a little to expose the materia bangle around his wrist. "On the count of three..."

Elena began to count with him, but they only made it to number two before an inferno suddenly blazed around them. Elena blurted every cuss word she'd ever learned, and she even invented a few new ones. She grabbed for Tseng impulsively, thinking that one of the little beasts had managed to get its hands on a fire materia or Ifrit summons. The fire wasn't touching her or her companion or the broken column they were standing on, though. It circled around them like a tornado, burning the surrounding goblins to a crisp.

"I thought you could use some assistance," called a voice from above. "You looked a bit overwhelmed."

They both looked up to see Genesis hovering over them, his black wing flapping. The fires died down and smoke curled up from the ground and the singed grass. Little fires remained behind, and Tseng had the good sense to activate a Water spell to put them out, before they could spread.

"Don't you think that was a touch of overkill?" demanded Elena crossly when the redheaded SOLDIER operative landed before them.

Genesis looked around. "Frankly, I think it was just enough kill. You're welcome."

She grumbled under her breath and resisted making a rude gesture at him. She looked at her boss in concern when he coughed. "Sir?"

Tseng shook his head. "I'm fine. I think a rib might be fractured, but I can breathe, and I'll manage until our mission is complete." He combed a wayward strand of raven hair out of his face and he looked around at the carnage. Some of the charred little bodies were still twitching. He got down from the column and offered a solicitous hand up to the blond. Elena took it and landed beside him.

"Please tell me the materia wasn't on any of these creatures," Tseng said, nudging one of the corpses with his shoe.

"Of course not," answered Genesis. "The goblins are too simple to understand how to use materia. To them, it's merely shiny baubles. I think you'll find a hoard of it in that cave." He nodded in the direction of the mossy cavern opening.

"I'll go and investigate," offered Elena.

"No, you stay out here and watch for danger," corrected Tseng. "I'm sure that blast and the smell will attract more of them, eventually."

She nodded in concurrence. "Sir."

Tseng cast one more unreadable glance at Genesis, before putting a fresh clip in his gun and going for the cave. As he went in to find the materia, Elena looked up at the handsome, arrogant redhead.

"Stop looking so smug," she ordered. "Either of us could have done the same thing, with a fully grown Fire materia."

"And yet, you didn't," observed Genesis.

"Because setting the forest on fire isn't a great plan," she pointed out with a lift of her brows.

"I didn't set the forest on fire."

"Thanks to Tseng using the Water spell."

Genesis looked at her, and something like annoyance flashed briefly in his bright eyes. "Are you always so pleasant?"

"I'm a delight," she answered, showing her teeth in a not-quite-smile. "Are you ever not in love with yourself?"

"My word, something has you edgy." He took a step closer, his hair stirring in the hot air. "I wonder what it could be?"

"Your recklessness," she excused. "You could have burned us. If you're going to work with us, then _work with us_. Running off on your own so you can make a dramatic, last-minute entrance and show off isn't the action of a team player."

He smirked. "I always did have impulse control issues," he admitted.

Elena blinked, surprised to hear the man admit any faults. She tried to think of a response to that, but a high-pitched, hooting cry came from behind Genesis. She saw the goblin rushing towards him and she stepped back and readied her gun. "Behind you."

Genesis turned just as the creature made it within range of him, and he put a gloved hand out and caught it by the head. The creature swung ineffectively at him, spouting gibberish, hissing and spitting as it kicked and punched the air. Genesis held it back calmly, tilting his head as he watched its tantrum.

"He's an energetic little creature, isn't he?" observed the Soldier with amusement. "Elena, are you in the market for a new pet? You could bring him home with you."

"Uh, no thanks." She frowned at the creature. "You might not want to tease it like that, Rhapsodos." The goblin's eyes were beginning to glow red with anger, and she could tell it was getting ready for a special attack.

Genesis snorted, sparing her a glance. "What can it possibly do? The primitive thing is too stupid to—"

With a sudden burst of strength, the goblin ducked beneath Genesis' restraining hand and performed the same special attack that Tseng had experienced—right at the redhead's crotch. Genesis blurted a strangled, surprised groan and he fell to the ground, clutching his groin and curling into a fetal position.

Elena burst into laughter. She knew it was mean, but she couldn't help it. The goblin turned its attention to her next, and she quickly aimed and fired at it, blowing it full of holes before it could close the distance to her. When it stopped moving, she went to Genesis' side, covering her mouth on snickers. His sword lay forgotten in the grass and he looked utterly mortal, suffering an injury that made all men equal.

"Are you...okay?" she said unevenly.

"What do you think?" he grunted through clenched teeth. He sucked in a couple of sharp, quick breaths and he struggled to his hands and knees. Still experiencing schadenfreude at his discomfort but feeling enough pity for him to be charitable, Elena squatted down and put an arm around his waist to help him to his feet.

"Easy," she advised when he staggered. She imagined what it would have felt like if one of those things had laid into her tits like that and she grimaced. "He really had a free-for-all on you. Serves you right."

Genesis breathed in slowly, his eyes shut in concentration. "So you say. Would you mind collecting my sword for me? I don't think I can bend over to retrieve it, right now."

"Sure. Just lean against the pillar for support, if you need to."

Genesis did as she suggested, and as she retrieved his weapon and handed it to him, he gave her a puzzled look. "Interesting. Now that I've suffered an...injury...you're almost nice."

"And you're almost humble," she countered without missing a beat. "Funny how a little thing like a cock punch can change attitudes."

Genesis gave her a sickly little smile. "So all one need do to garnish some kindness from you is suffer groin abuse. You're a difficult woman to please." He sheathed his sword at his back with painful, careful motions and he put a hand over his stomach, grimacing at the sickly sensation caused by said "cock punch".

She fought a smile. "Half the time, I can't understand what you're talking about. Do you have to work to speak like that, or does it come naturally?"

"Blame years of reading poetry," he said with a grunt, pushing away from the column. He walked with a limp as he took a couple of steps toward the materia cave. "You should try it, sometime."

She shrugged. "I only read mysteries."

Genesis eyed her thoughtfully, and the sly look returned to his gaze despite his lingering pain. "Somehow, I doubt mysteries are the only genre of literature you enjoy."

She tempered the blush that wanted to rise in her cheeks. "Then what else do you think I read? Porn?"

He shrugged. "That depends on how one defines it. Would I find romance novels in your shelves, if I were to browse your book collection?"

"Since you won't be browsing my book collection anytime soon," she said, "you'll just have to keep wondering."

He smiled crookedly. "I think you've just answered my question."

Elena pursed her lips with annoyance. "Listen, you, I—"

"Elena," Tseng called from the cave entrance, interrupting what probably would have amounted to a snarky tirade, "I need your help. There's more materia in here than expected."

She put aside her irritation with Genesis and immediately went to join Tseng. She cast one last, warning look over her shoulder at the brazen redhead, and he responded with a smirk.

* * *

After collecting armloads of materia and offloading some of it on Genesis, they made their way back to the helicopter. Tseng tried to contact their companions, but he wasn't getting an answer. He sighed and he instructed the pilot to remain on standby. He looked at Elena and Genesis thoughtfully. The latter of the two was still limping slightly, and Tseng smirked inwardly, even as he sympathized with him.

Elena had informed him of Genesis' unfortunate experience with getting goblin punched in the groin, while they were collecting the materia. She seemed to find it inordinately funny—and he supposed it was, but as a man who had experienced being wracked in the balls before himself, he had some pity for him.

"How do you fare, Lieutenant?" asked Tseng after a moment. "Are you in any condition to conduct a scouting mission?"

Genesis shrugged. "Flying is easier than walking, presently. Do you have a specific location for me to begin searching for your wayward Turks?"

Tseng checked the tracker on his cellphone. "Up to the northwest of here," he answered. I'll send you the trace coordinates, if you don't mind seeking them out. Take Elena with you. I'm afraid I'm in no condition to make the hike."

"What about a healing potion?" Elena suggested. Unfortunately, what little restorative materia the company had left at its disposal was on reserve for the upcoming Mithril Mines raid, charging to full power in case anything went wrong. She didn't really want to go anywhere alone with Genesis, after the way she'd made fun of him. He might decide to drop her for sure, this time.

Tseng nodded. "I'll drink one inside the helicopter," he assured, "but I still need to report in to the president, and someone should guard the chopper as well. Those creatures could follow our trail, and I'd rather not leave the pilot alone to deal with them."

Unable to refute that point, she nodded and sighed. She looked up at Genesis as he spread his wing and stood waiting for her. "Well, here goes nothing."

The look in his eye suggested he was aware of her concerns, and as she put her arms around his neck, he murmured into her hair. "You needn't worry over me dropping you...so long as you keep a civil tone with me from now on."

"Easier said than done," she muttered.

He chuckled softly and put an arm around her waist, getting a firm hold on her before taking to the air.

* * *

Meanwhile, Two-guns and Javetz were running for their lives, deeper in the woodlands. "Are they still behind us?" panted the latter, not daring to look back himself.

Two-guns was a little braver, and he risked a glance over his shoulder. The entire forest seemed to be swarming with goblins, and their hooting and jeering started up again. "Uh, yeah...they're still behind us. Just keep running!"

"Shit!" Javetz barely jumped over a fallen log in time, and because he was busy looking behind him, Two-guns ran into it stomach-first, knocking the breath out of himself.

Javetz turned and came back for his work associate, activating the first spell materia he found on his bangle. Lightning crackled, striking the front ranks of the goblin mob. Little caps and shoes flew off as the static electricity zapped the creatures, and their un-harmed companions screeched in anger.

"I think you just pissed them off more," grunted Two-guns as his companion helped him around the log.

"Slowed them down, though," Javetz insisted. "Come on!"

"Think they can climb trees?" Two-guns stumbled along with the other man, his steps clumsy as he tried to catch his breath.

"Since half of them came down out of the trees, I'm going to say yes."

Two-guns groaned, reaching for the weapons that inspired his code name. "I think we might have to turn and fight them, bro. The chopper's too far away for us to make it on foot, before they catch up to us."

I was afraid you were going to say that," answered Javetz unhappily.

He looked up when he heard the flap of huge wings, half-expecting to find himself facing some monstrous bird in addition to the angry residents of the island. Instead, he saw Genesis Rhapsodos carrying Elena through the air, just below the canopy. Elena was yelling at him to watch out as he swooped between the trunks and branches of the trees.

"Would _you_ like to fly?" Genesis called to her.

"Sure, give me your wing and I will!"

"Guys, down here!" Two-guns yelled, waving his arms.

The two of them stopped arguing and came to a landing on the leafy forest floor. Elena looked both of her fellow Turks up and down, checking for injury. "Are you two okay?"

"A log snuck up on TG and knocked the breath out of him," answered Javetz, "but other than that, we're okay. We've got bigger problems to deal with, now." He motioned at the goblins bearing down on them from the forest.

"Yeah, I noticed," Elena sighed. She flipped the safety off on her gun and she looked around at them all. "Rhapsodos can't carry all three of us. You two start heading for the chopper, while we hold them off."

"You sure about that?" Two-guns asked doubtfully. "I mean, I know this guy is super strong and shit, but that's a _lot_ of goblins for two people to deal with."

"If things get hairy, Genesis and I can fly out," she answered.

"Or at least, _I_ can," corrected the redhead.

"Button it," she snapped.

"Maybe we should stick with you and just fight them off," Javetz suggested with a mistrustful glance at Genesis. Maybe the two of them were just taking pot-shots at each other, but he didn't know the SOLDIER operative well enough to presume he wouldn't really leave Elena behind.

Two-guns nodded. "Yeah, if we take out enough of them, it might scare the rest off."

"These creatures lack a sense of self-preservation," Genesis explained. "You're best off taking the advice of the lady, here. She and I can manage on our own, until you're safely away."

"And you won't leave her behind?" pressed Javetz, anxious to get out of there but in no hurry to imperil his coworker.

Genesis gave a cordial little bow that would have been better suited to an earlier era. "You have my word."

"Okay, he gave us his word," prompted Two-guns, "let's get out of here. The longer we wait, the longer they've got to keep 'em busy."

Conceding the point, Javetz followed his lead and they took off, heading in the direction where the helicopter was at.

* * *

"What do you think?" Elena asked as she and Genesis eyed the approaching threat. "You take to the air and hit the back ranks, while I thin out the front with ranged attacks and spells?"

Genesis nodded. "Agreed."

Elena felt his wing brush against her back in an almost caressing manner, before he took to the air again. She shivered involuntarily, finding the brief contract distracting in an inappropriately pleasing way. Genesis soared through the air at the goblin mass, bearing down on them with deadly purpose. Elena checked her materia and she decided to make use of the Enemy Skills she'd procured, first.

She unleashed a Matra Magic spell first, summoning a hail of streaking missiles to blast into their ranks. The high-pitched squeals of surprise provoked the middle ranks to push forward angrily. Thinking quickly, she activated Aqualung next, manifesting a devastating elemental water attack. It took out quite a few of them, but now they were _really_ angry with her. Countless pairs of beady eyes began to glow red, and she knew she'd be beaten to a bloody pulp if they managed to close in on her.

"Any time now, Genesis," she ground out, wracking her brain for her next strategy.

She found the Quake materia and she thought that was probably her best option to slow down their advance, until her winged companion decided on his tactic and acted. She activated the spell materia with a little curse, disliking how quickly the little beasts were closing the distance. Perhaps she shouldn't have lectured Genesis too vehemently over his earlier tactic. Right now, a blazing inferno might just save her ass—even if it did burn down the forest around them.

The ground buckled and groaned as she cast the Quake spell, and little goblins flew in all different direction as the earth exploded beneath them. They resembled rag dolls tossed about by an angry child, and Elena might have found the sight comical, if it weren't for her peril. She immediately followed up with gunfire, shooting the nearest ones down before they could make it to her. She threw a grenade into the disoriented group that got caught up in the Quake spell, taking out a few more of them.

She was just about to yell at Genesis to stop hovering there and move his ass, when he suddenly dove like a predatory bird, tucking his wing close to his body. She saw his signature bolts of flame shooting out in all different directions as he swooped into the back ranks, and she saw his glowing red sword flashing. Apparently, he'd taken her criticism to heart and she assumed he'd waited so long to act because he was searching for the best angle of attack.

"Hmph...you're pretty brave to get within striking distance of these guys, after what happened earlier," she muttered. Or maybe he was just pissed off and got more satisfaction from laying into them with his sword than from using ranged attacks.

Since he was now in the thick of it—and she could see more goblins flying through the air as his attacks tore through them—she couldn't risk using broad-range attacks anymore. He could probably resist most of her spells if they happened to hit him, but she'd be in deep kimchi if she accidentally hurt him. She settled for using gunfire on the creatures, pushing back the unwilling concern she felt for her companion as he disappeared beneath a pile of goblins.

She made it within ten feet of Genesis and the remaining goblins, before there was an explosion that knocked her off her feet and sent her sprawling on her back to the ground. Elena put one hand protectively over her eyes to shield them, and she squinted through her fingers as charred bits and pieces of goblin rained down all around her. At first, she wondered if Genesis himself had exploded, but when the heat and flames died down, she found him crouching unharmed. The ground around him was blackened and smoke curled up from the remains of the grass.

"You could have warned me," she coughed as he stood up slowly and looked around at his handiwork.

Genesis approached her, after sheathing his blade. "At exactly which point during those final moments do you think I should have taken time out to explain what I was going to do, Miss?" He came to a stop over her and he offered his hand.

Elena reached up and took it on impulse, and she gasped a little at how quickly he pulled her to her feet. She stumbled a little and his wing curved around and embraced her, pushing her against him as if by instinct. Her hands splayed over his chest and she flushed.

"Pardon me," Genesis murmured, relaxing his wing so that it wasn't hugging her. "It tends to have a mind of its own."

The connotation reminded her of excuses men sometimes made for other body parts, and when she thought she felt a hint of evidence that his wing wasn't the only one acting on its own mind, she pulled away and cleared her throat.

"That's...okay. I guess we took care of all of them, huh?" She stepped away from him and looked around, a bit stunned by the amount of destruction.

The sounds of hooting and hollering from deeper in the forest answered her question before Genesis could. He spread his wing and offered his hand to her again. "I think it's time we left, don't you?"

Elena shrugged, though she felt anything but casual. She took his hand and she allowed him to draw her close again. She looked away as she put her arms around his neck, afraid that she'd either burst into nervous snickers or do something even more embarrassing like try to kiss him, if she looked him in the eye.

"Stupid men," she muttered under her breath; though in truth, she was more irritated with herself for being attracted to the infuriating ones to begin with.

"What was that?"

"Nothing." She blinked innocently at him and plastered a smile that she hoped resembled one of Cissnei's on her face. "I'm ready."

* * *

Back in Edge, Cissnei watched as Reeve gave her new car a thorough examination. He'd insisted she bring it to the automotive station in HQ so he'd have all the proper equipment available, and she felt a little useless. There was something a little startling and wonderful to see the man dressed casually, for once. She wasn't expecting him to put on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt to do this, but she supposed it wouldn't have been very smart for him to do mechanic work in a business suit.

"Can I get you anything?" she asked uncertainly, clasping her hands before her hips. All she could see of him at the moment were his denim-clad legs, sticking out from beneath the car.

"Actually," he answered, sliding out from beneath the vehicle to look up at her through the protective goggles he wore, "could you be a peach and hand me that wrench, over there?" He gestured awkwardly at the open toolbox. "I just need to tighten something up."

Cissnei had all sorts of inappropriate thoughts going on in her head, and she bit back a grin and nodded.

_~Stop it. Now isn't the time to be thinking of sitting on him. Geez, hormones, give me a break!~_

She went to get the required item, and she accidentally-on-purpose presented her back to him as she bent over to get it. True, it would have been more effective if she were wearing a skirt, or a pair of tight jeans or shorts, but when she risked a covert glance and saw the way his gaze fixated on her bottom, she figured the uniform pants did the trick, well enough.

Cissnei picked up the tool and walked over to him, squatting beside him. "Here you go."

Reeve stared at her for the space of two heartbeats, before taking the wrench. "Much obliged. You don't have to hang around here, if you don't want. I promise I'm not going to make any crazy alterations to your car while your back is turned."

Cissnei smiled and she gave him a playful little slap on the arm, hoping he wasn't trying to get rid of her. "I _know_ that. Although, some crazy alterations might be kind of cool."

"Be careful," teased Reeve with a grin, "I might take that as an invitation and you'll end up with a jet-powered convertible."

"Hmm. Will it be able to fly me to the moon?" Cissnei tilted her head and traced patterns on her knee unconsciously.

"Maybe, but without the proper insulation, you wouldn't last long in space."

Cissnei sighed and resisted shaking her head at him. Didn't the man know when he was being flirted with? Wait...she wasn't supposed to be flirting with him. She _did_ sigh then. Why were all the ones she liked either off-limits, taken, dead or gay?

"I'm sure you'd make it space-safe for me."

"Oh, absolutely," he agreed, sliding back under the car again. "I should be finished before too long, I imagine."

Cissnei wondered if her next question might seem too forward. Maybe she shouldn't keep trying to arrange reasons to spend time with him. Despite her concerns, her mouth ran away with her.

"You've been so nice about this, Mr. Tuesti."

"Reeve," he reminded her from under the automobile, "we're off the clock."

"Reeve," she corrected, smiling again. "Um, I'd like to repay you for helping me out like this. Can I treat you to dinner, tonight? Or buy you some takeout, if you're going to be too busy to leave the building?"

"Hmm, I usually don't let the ladies pay," he said, "but if this is a meal between friends and you really want to, we could do that."

Cissnei felt another rush of uncertainty. Was he saying he only thought of her as a friend, or was he saying he wouldn't allow her to pay for a real date? Would he even go on a real date with a Turk? Why the hell was she thinking of this, when she'd just reminded herself that she shouldn't be flirting with him. Why couldn't she stop?

"Cissnei? You can back out, you know." Reeve chuckled. "You've gone quiet, all the sudden."

"Oh, that's not it," she said quickly, flushing. "I was just...um, trying to think of where we could go."

_~Something casual...but not too casual. He has class. Pizza is out of the question. Wutaian? Not some greasy noodle joint, though. Seafood? No, that's too fancy. Maybe—~_

"Do you like burgers?" Reeve asked.

Cissnei blinked owlishly at his legs. "Hamburgers?"

"Yeah," he answered, "but not that greasy, fast food. I know a really good cafe that makes some mouth-watering burgers. They play some nice tunes, too."

She certainly wasn't expecting a man like Reeve to suggest a burger joint, but then, he wasn't exactly Mr. Predictable. "Um, sure! I like hamburgers."

"They have other food on the menu too," he assured her. "I just usually go there for the burgers. They've got chicken wings, steak, sandwiches...that sort of thing." There was a clinking sound and he swore and grunted. "But don't feel obligated, Sweetheart. I just suggested it because you seemed to be struggling for ideas."

Being called "Sweetheart" by him predictably made her melt inside, and she smiled happily. She sobered immediately, though. Reeve probably wouldn't be using terms like that if he was attracted to her. He probably thought she was too young for him. She sighed.

"No, the hamburger place sounds great. I'll just go get cleaned up and get ready."

"All right, then. I shouldn't be far behind. You can drive us in your new car."

She smiled again. At least she had a nice new car and she'd get to spend a little time with a good-looking, sophisticated man.

* * *

Elena was dead tired, by the time they made it back to Edge. Her arms were sore from clinging to Genesis so tightly throughout the day, the sole of one of her shoes had somehow developed a hole right in the middle of it, and she had ash inside of her clothes. She was dirty, grumpy and frustrated with the turn of events. After exiting the chopper, she started to trudge off toward the airport exit, intending to go straight into HQ for a shower. She could wait until she got home, but she felt so grimy, she didn't want to wait.

"Elena," called Tseng.

She stopped and turned to look at him, perking up a little despite her exhaustion. "Sir?"

He walked up to her, his dark hair blowing in the wind. "I know you must be tired, but I would like to take you out to dinner tonight, after we've had the opportunity to get cleaned up."

She thought that would be wonderful, though she feared she might face-plant in her food and fall asleep. "But, the reports..."

"I've already reported in to the president," he assured her. "And we can fill out the details tomorrow. The important information has already been relayed, and Two-guns will register the new materia and have it analyzed."

She looked at him, and she caught sight of genesis behind him, stepping out of the chopper. There he stood, with the sunset back-dropping him as if by design, matching the colors of his auburn hair and his jacket. His eyes met her for a moment, but he became distracted by his cell phone and he put it to his ear to answer it.

Yup, there she was with two equally handsome, aloof men sending her mixed signals at every turn—and she had no clue what she wanted anymore. However, she'd already been in a semi-steady relationship with Tseng for some time. Stagnant though it seemed to be, it was familiar to her, and she still had hopes that she might be able to push it to the next level, with enough persistence. She wasn't ready to give up on Tseng, no matter how exciting the thin possibility of Genesis might be.

"I'd love to go out to eat with you tonight," she accepted with a smile. "I think I have something in my locker here that I can wear."

Tseng nodded and he took her hand, bringing it to his lips for a brief kiss. "Then meet me in the lobby in an hour, and we'll be on our way."

She agreed with a nod, even as she inwardly cursed him for still having the ability to make her heart race with the simple press of his lips against her skin. As she continued her trajectory into the building, one scandalous thought loomed foremost in her mind.

_~If I don't get some soon, I'm going to flip.~_

Whomever came up with the myth that women didn't want "it" as much as men was either insane, stupid or completely ignorant of the truth of female anatomy, and men weren't the only ones that got frustrated.

* * *

-To be continued


	3. Chapter 3

"Prism"

Chapter 3

A FF7 fanfiction

* * *

Cissnei dressed semi-casually for her outing with Reeve, not wanting to overdress. She figured she made the right choice when he met her in the lobby wearing a button-up royal blue shirt and dress slacks...not exactly formal, but then Reeve always dressed nicely when he wasn't doing mechanical stuff.

"Hi," he said in greeting when he glanced up from his watch and saw her approach from the elevators. "Ready to pig out on the best burgers you'll ever taste?"

"I don't 'pig out'," she insisted with an exaggerated, dignified toss of her head. "I'm a lady."

Reeve chuckled and held his hands out in surrender. "My mistake. Well then, would the lady mind a proper escort to her chariot?" Reeve offered his arm to her, and she took it with a giggle.

"Yes, she would." Cissnei caught a pleasant whiff of scent from him and she took an experimental, covert sniff. "What aftershave is that?"

"'Stag', I think," answered Reeve with a shrug as they started for the front exit. "I didn't pay much attention when I reached for it. I generally keep a couple handy in my suite, here."

This didn't surprise her. "I like it. You should wear that one more often."

The doors slid open for them as they approached. Reeve smiled at her and he started to dig his keys out of his pocket. "If you like it so much, maybe I will."

Cissnei felt her cheeks warm and she cursed herself. She shouldn't jump to conclusions and assume his tone was flirtatious, and damned if she should be blushing like a teenager so easily around the man. Realizing he was starting to lead them to his car, she almost stopped him and insisted that she would drive, but then she remembered her car was still in the company garage.

"So, what is the verdict on Prissy?"

Reeve stopped before his black hybrid sedan and he frowned in confusion. "Pardon?"

Cissnei grinned up at him. "My car," she explained. "I've decided her name is 'Prissy'."

Reeve compressed his lips and he politely covered his mouth and coughed, his shoulders shaking with quiet laughter. "I...see. She looks like a 'Prissy', now that you mention it. Good choice."

She nodded enthusiastically. "I know, right? She's so cute and pink and small!"

He unlocked his car and opened the passenger side door for her, still chuckling under his breath. "That's cute."

"I'm being such a girl, I know."

Reeve shook his head. "I don't mind, Cissnei. I happen to enjoy being around a girl."

She contained her grin with difficulty and she climbed into the car. He shut the door and circled around to the driver's seat as she buckled her seat belt. She quickly checked her face in the sunshade mirror to make sure nothing was funky, and she flipped it back up hastily as he got in beside her. Reeve checked oncoming traffic and put his indicator on, before pulling out of his spot onto the street.

"You're a more cautious driver than I am," observed Cissnei. She unconsciously smoothed her little yellow sundress and she felt a brief flash of triumph when his eyes followed the motion and glanced down at her crossed legs, bared to mid-thigh.

It took a second for Reeve to respond. "Well, I'm not usually pulling stunts in my car, the way you Turks sometimes tend to. No high-speed chases for me, I'm afraid."

"You'd have fun in one," she insisted. "You should ride along with me, next time I have to track down a risk!"

"My dear, I'm afraid I might not hash well to the chase," he excused, smiling sidelong at her. "I've never mentioned it, but I have a thing about traffic. It makes me a bit nervous."

She raised her brows in surprise. Given some of the crazy and wonderful things he'd created with his bare hands—some of which involved substantial danger to his person—she'd almost begun to wonder if he was afraid of anything.

"Really? Traffic?" She thought of the way he'd complained when she shut her eyes whilst taking her new car out for a test drive, and she started to grin. "I'm sorry I scared you earlier today, then."

"It's a quirk," he admitted, looking almost sheepish. He checked the rearview mirror before carefully changing lanes. At least he didn't drive like a granny and stay ten miles under the speed limit. "You don't think that makes me less manly, do you?"

She shook her head, and she almost said that she thought it just made him cuter. "No, you're just manly enough. You're safe."

Masculinity intact, he smiled at her. "We should be there in a couple of minutes. I hope you've brought your appetite with you."

Her stomach growled as if on cue. She'd deliberately had a light lunch, so that she wouldn't be too full to enjoy a good meal with him. She patted her flat tummy and nodded. "The appetite is armed and ready, Mister."

"Then I'd better get us there faster."

To her surprise, he put his foot down and nearly ran a red light. She hooted and smiled at him. "What happened to your fear of traffic?"

"I'm not afraid of speeding," he corrected with a sidelong wink. "Just other drivers."

She shook her head at him, crinkling her nose. "You're so weird." Realizing that could come out as an insult, she quickly revised her words. "But in a cool way."

"Good recovery," he approved with a chuckle.

* * *

While Cissnei was going on her first "non-date" with her secret crush, Elena was going on a "real date" with her sort-of boyfriend. Unlike her partner, the blonde was dressed in a fashionable, pale blue dinner gown, with her hair pinned back. As much as she hated to take the time doing it, she dutifully applied makeup to her face before meeting up with Tseng, some five minutes after Cissnei and Reeve left. She stood waiting in the lobby for nearly ten minutes, before the Turk leader came out of the elevator and approached her. One glance at him was enough to garnish forgiveness for his tardiness, however.

"You look lovely," he complimented, coming to a stop before her and taking her hand to kiss it. "The car should be waiting outside for us."

She nodded, covertly admiring the way he looked in the red and black formal ensemble. It wasn't all that different in design than his usual Turk suit, but the rich, scarlet color of the shirt beneath the formal black blazer really suited him. His raven hair was neatly pulled back into a long ponytail. "Where are we going to eat?"

"I thought we would try the new seafood restaurant on the other side of town," answered Tseng. "I hear the lobster is very good."

Her mouth started to water at the thought of lobster. She had to hand it to him; he knew her favorite foods and he liberally spoiled her with them...even if he left her starving for intimacy most of the time. Thoughts of another man who somehow managed to make every interaction ridiculously intimate invaded her thoughts, and she frowned and chastised herself.

"Stop it."

Tseng glanced at her, pausing in the act of retrieving his cell from his pocket. "Stop what?"

"Oh...my shoe," she lied, glancing down at the powder blue, satin heel on her right foot. "It's pinching my toe a little. I guess I need to take it to the shop to be looked at, when I have time."

Tseng glanced down at it, his gaze lingering on the bit of leg exposed through the slit in her cocktail dress. "You won't need to stand for long. I have a reservation and we'll be seated right away."

Much as Reeve had done with Cissnei, he offered his arm to her and Elena took it. She resisted the urge to sigh heavily as a certain redhead stayed in the back of her mind, and she inwardly cussed him out for invading her date. Not that Genesis could control whether she thought of him or not, but it helped to blame someone besides herself for it.

* * *

Cissnei took her first hesitant bite into a burger that was nearly as big as the plate it sat on. She tried to be delicate about it, but some of the sauce dripped out of the bottom of it and onto the plate as she bit down. Reeve watched her quietly as he took a bite out of his, too.

"Don't worry about slopping," he advised after swallowing his bite. "We're here to have fun, not impress anyone."

She smiled at him and took his advice, sinking her teeth into the hamburger with a bit more vigor. The flavor explosion made a sound of approval rise in her throat and she nodded as she chewed, reaching for the napkin to dab the corners of her mouth, just in case.

"Oh my god," she said around the food, covering her mouth so that she wasn't displaying it as she spoke. "This really _is_ the best burger I've ever had!"

Reeve smiled in satisfaction. "I told you so. Try one of the fries, next. They're just about as good." He slid the plate of chili-cheese fries in the center of the table towards her a little bit in offering, and as soon as she finished swallowing her food, she reached for one and ate it.

"Wow...I'm eating here more often," she informed him after eating the spicy, cheesy,  
potato treat.

"I'm glad you approve." Reeve glanced up as the waitress came with a drink tray. "Here come the drinks. I hope you meant it when you said your appetite was armed and ready, Cissnei."

She looked up and her eyes bugged out when she saw the towering glass being placed on the table before her. The strawberry shake was enormous, with a red and white spiraled straw sticking out the top of it and fresh fruit lining the rim. A generous dollop of whipped cream crowned the surface.

"Th-that's a _big_ shake," she observed, the fry in her hand forgotten.

Reeve looked like he was trying not to laugh at her. The corners of his eyes crinkled as he smiled. "You said you wanted the Motherlode. This is it."

"Um...wow. It looks delicious." And it did, but she had no idea where she was going to put all of it, along with the huge hamburger and chili fries. She looked almost longingly at Reeve's perfectly acceptable glass of root beer.

"If you can't finish any of it, we can always have it wrapped up to go," he said, evidently reading the consternation on her face for what it was.

"That's true," she agreed, relaxing a little. "But since the shake won't make it home before it melts, I'd better drink up first."

Reeve chuckled. "I'll bet you were the kind of little girl that always wanted to eat her dessert first. Am I right?"

She smiled mischievously at him. "Maybe."

One of her favorite songs came on and she started to hum it while she sipped at her shake. Reeve took another bite of his burger and he wiped his mouth off while giving her a surprised look.

"You know this song?"

"Mmm-hmm. It's one of my favorite classics, in fact." She winked at him. "I can be sophisticated."

He smiled. "I just figured it was a bit before your time. It was popular when I was a kid."

"You aren't _that_ much older than me," she admonished, determined to keep him from seeing her as a child.

Reeve chuckled and reached for another fry, his handsome face a bit guarded. "I don't know about that."

She sighed and propped her elbow on the table, resting her chin in her hand as she sipped steadily from her frosty shake. Maybe this was a lost cause.

* * *

The dinner was beautiful. They had live musicians playing classical music, and the lobster thermidor was so delicious, she had to fight the urge to inhale it and make a pig of herself. As usual, Tseng wined and dined her, but when he went to drop her off at home, Elena feared the night would end the same way as it always did. How long had they been dating now? She knew it was over a year and they'd only even made out a few times. She was beginning to question his sexuality, but she reminded herself that he still visibly pined for Aerith, now and then.

"Tseng, will you pull over for a minute?"

He glanced sidelong at her. "Is something wrong?"

"I just want to talk, for a minute. I don't want to go straight home."

"I thought you were tired."

Elena wanted to throttle him. "I am, but this is more important to me than sleep. Please?"

He dutifully pulled into one of the thirty-minute parking spots on the side of the street, and he put the emergency brake on and turned in his seat to regard her with curious, dark eyes. "What is it, Elena?"

She took a deep breath, reminding herself that right now, he wasn't her boss and she had every right to express herself. "Do you really like me at all?"

He blinked, and his mouth pulled into a subtle frown. "What makes you ask such a question? I wouldn't be dating you, if I didn't like you."

"Sometimes I wonder." In her frustration, she blurted the next question without thinking. "Are you sure I'm not just your beard?"

Tseng's expression went from mildly curious to openly puzzled. "Your...your _what_?"

She decided it might not be wise to outright accuse him of being gay. A man like Tseng could take it stoically, or he could take it as an insult. She was never completely sure where she stood with him. "Never mind. I just sometimes wonder if you're only dating me to...keep other women away, or because I happen to be convenient."

"I don't know where this is coming from."

Elena made a show of crossing her legs, subtly baring her left thigh through the slit in her gown. When his gaze dropped to it immediately, she got more confirmation that he was at least mildly attracted to her—or at least, her legs. "You never try to get me in bed."

"I respect you." He said it guardedly.

She sighed. This train was going nowhere, without fuel. Deciding it was time to shovel some coal into the burner, she leaned toward him, cupped the back of his head and drew his mouth to hers. At first, his lips were still against hers, but she refused to give up and she swiped her tongue over them, tracing them delicately before seeking the crease between them. They parted, and Tseng began to return the kiss. He tensed up for a moment, and then he relaxed and his hand settled on her knee.

Feeling like she was getting somewhere, she deepened the kiss and she began to loosen his ponytail. His hand eased into the slit in her dress, and it began to caress her leg and thigh. Elena fully approved of this and she hastily reached down with her free hand to unfasten her safety belt, to give herself more room to maneuver.

"Elena," Tseng murmured against her lips...a warning.

She took it as a sign that his passion might actually get the better of him this time if she continued, and she stubbornly pressed on. The seatbelt slid off with a faint hiss as it retracted, and she began to loosen Tseng's tie. She'd almost forgotten what a good kisser he was, when he wasn't being a prude. His tongue danced against hers seductively, and his lips applied just the right pressure. His hair came free from the binding easily, sliding smoothly through the clasp as she pulled it loose.

His hand slid further up her thigh, covertly easing her gown further up. He stopped when his fingers started to slip under her panties and he broke the kiss. She was about ready to shout at him and box his ears, but the intense look of desire in his dark eyes as they met hers gave her pause.

"We shouldn't do this here," Tseng whispered. "Not in a car."

"My place isn't far," she offered.

Tseng surprised her, then. "Mine is closer. Buckle up."

Elena snatched her seatbelt with eagerness that would have embarrassed her, if she weren't so sex deprived and desperate to finally get down her boyfriend's pants.

* * *

They began to remove their clothes as soon as they made it through the door of Tseng's apartment, their lips locked together in a kiss and their hands scrabbling with eagerness. Tseng slammed the door behind him and he blindly flailed at the door with one hand to lock it behind him, while still helping Elena get his blazer and shirt undone with his other hand. She pushed him against the door and yanked his blazer down over his shoulders. She kicked her heels off and they careened over the hardwood floor recklessly, twirling into the wall. She got his shirt open and that came off next, landing somewhere next to the tapestry decorating the wall by the door.

She gasped with thrilled surprise as he lifted her dress up and picked her up, his hands supporting her ass as he pulled her up against him. Her hairpin fell out and clattered to the floor, forgotten. Elena wrapped her legs around his waist and put her arms around his neck, certain now that she was finally going to get what she was after. Good things were worth waiting for, and she had a feeling Tseng wouldn't disappoint in bed. His unexpected loss of control told her he was just as frustrated as she was.

He carried her through the apartment and down the hallway, grunting in pain as his elbow struck the wall briefly. He didn't drop her, though, and his mouth never left hers. She gasped when her butt hit the doorknob as they passed through the door to his spacious, Wutaian style bedroom, but she was far too invested in this encounter to care about a little bruise. If everything went the way she hoped, they'd both have more bruises, by the end of the night. Not that she was a fan of literally beating her partners up, but good, passionate sex usually resulted in some marks.

"Aerith."

Elena's eyes popped open and her passion instantly went cold at the sound of that name uttered on his lips, with such passion and longing. Tseng seemed to realize his mistake a second after he said it, and he paused, breaking the kiss to look at her with something like mortification on his face.

"E-Elena...it doesn't mean anything."

She'd never seen him so flustered and if she weren't feeling so hurt, insulted and downright furious, she would have taken some pleasure from it. "Put me down."

"This doesn't have to—"

"Tseng, with all due respect, if you don't put me down _right now_, I might just slap you." She glared directly into his eyes, for once not feeling even a little bit like backing down.

He obligingly set her back onto her feet with a sigh. "Elena," he said awkwardly, "it's only a memory. Don't let it ruin this."

"It's a memory that means more to you than a flesh and blood woman," she insisted, straightening her gown with angry, jerking motions. "That's what this has been, hasn't it? I'm just a distraction for you, just like I thought. I'll bet you wouldn't have been seeing me at all, if we'd made it into that bed. You would have been seeing _her_."

He shook his head, his disheveled, black hair falling over his eyes. "Don't do this."

"You've already done it for me. Goodbye, Tseng." Elena gave him one last glare, and then she walked past him, retaining as much dignity as she could. She sensed him following her out through the hallway, and into the living room. She reigned in her emotions with practiced determination, putting on her game face, so he wouldn't get the satisfaction of seeing how much he'd hurt her.

"Let me at least drive you home."

She put her shoes on, flipped him off over her shoulder and reached for the doorknob. "I'll get a taxi."

She heard him sigh just before she went out the door and slammed it shut. She held in her emotions until she made it all the way home and into her apartment. Once the door was safely shut behind her and there was nobody around to see it, she let the tears come. She dropped her little velvet purse to the floor and put her face into her hands, shaking her head as she sank down to the floor.

* * *

The end of Cissnei's date went substantially better, though hers technically wasn't a "date." Reeve shot some pool with her at the tavern for a little while after they finished eating, and then he drove her home and saw her up to her apartment.

"Thanks for dinner," she said as they walked through the door.

"You paid for it," he reminded her, "so thank _you_ for dinner."

She turned and smiled at him. "Oh, right. Well, thank you for showing me a new place to eat, then. I still can't believe I finished that whole burger! I'm stuffed!" She rubbed her belly, conscious that it was subtly rounder from the heavy meal.

Reeve nodded and patted his own stomach. "If I sit down, I may not be able to get back up again. I barely made it out of the car."

She giggled and nodded in sympathy. "Do you think you have enough room in there for a nightcap?"

He considered it, and for a moment she thought he might object. With a shrug, he nodded in consent. "Why the hell not? What do you have?"

"Nothing fancy, I'm afraid," she admitted. "Some bourbon, Vodka and what's left of peach schnapps." She went into the little kitchen area, just a few steps away from the front door. Her little apartment consisted of a combination kitchen, dining and living area, with the bedroom and bathroom in separate rooms. "What will you have?"

"I'll take a bourbon on the rocks, Sweetheart."

She smiled to herself as she opened the cabinets and retrieved a couple of glasses. Every time he called her that, it gave her a thrill. How ridiculous. She found the liquor and she poured two bourbons, deciding his choice sounded good. He came and sat down at the bar and she offered the drink to him, before raising her own.

"Cheers. To a nice night out."

"Agreed." He clinked his glass against hers and they began to drink.

"Do you have a girlfriend?" Cissnei blurted the question impulsively.

Reeve choked on his drink and began to cough. Cissnei winced and she put her glass down to hurry around to his side. "I'm sorry! I shouldn't have asked you something like that, so abruptly!" She patted his back ineffectively, trying to help him catch his breath.

Reeve shook his head and covered his mouth, coughing into his hand until he recovered. "No, it's fine. You just took me by surprise."

She bit her lip. "I guess that's not the kind of thing I'm supposed to ask a work colleague, huh?"

Reeve wiped his mouth with one of the napkins sitting on the bar counter and he smiled forgivingly at her. "Don't be silly. It's a perfectly normal subject to bring up. Granted, I wasn't expecting it, but you didn't cross a line."

"You're sure?"

When he nodded, she took a seat on the stool beside his and she leaned over the bar to get her drink. "In that case...do you?"

He looked into his beverage and he shook his head. "Dating hasn't been at the top of my list of priorities, honestly. We've been far too busy. Tonight was the first night I've been out with a pretty girl in ages."

Her smile grew, forming dimples in her cheeks. "You think I'm pretty?"

He looked at her, his brown eyes warm as he scanned her up and down and then pointedly looked away. "Of course I do. I'm not blind."

She blushed in pleasure at the compliment. "I just don't get to dress up and be...well...feminine, very much. Like you said; we've all been so busy. I live in black pants and a blazer. Sometimes I don't even make it into my pj's when I make it home, I'm so exhausted!"

"Oh, I'm right there with you, girl." Reeve paused and frowned. "I can't pull off that slang, can I?"

She laughed outright at that, and she patted his arm. "You're not as bad at it as you think."

"Promise?" He grinned at her in a boyish manner that made his refined looks even more attractive to her. "You aren't just saying that to spare my feelings, are you?"

"I'd never lie about that," she promised. "I wouldn't let you embarrass yourself thinking you could pull it off, if you couldn't."

"No, I find other ways to embarrass myself," he sighed, smirking ruefully, "like nearly choking to death in a pretty girl's apartment when she asks if I'm single. That was smooth."

"I wouldn't have let you choke to death." She lowered her head and looked at him shyly through her lashes. "I would have given you CPR, if I had to."

Reeve's eyebrows went up. "I suppose it's part of a Turk's job to know how to do that sort of thing, eh?"

She shrugged. "Last year, Reno nearly electrocuted himself on a fallen powerline. He got zapped right off his feet while we were all on assignment and if we weren't there to revive him, he would have been a casualty. Nobody had any revive materia, so we had to wing it."

Reeve winced in sympathy. "Ouch. It's a good thing you were there, then. On the plus side, I imagine he doesn't need as much product to make his hair stick up that way, anymore."

She slapped him lightly on the arm! "You! That's mean!"

He chuckled and held his hands out. "I beg your pardon. I won't make fun of your coworkers anymore tonight. Scout's honor."

She gave him a smirk and took another sip of her drink, shivering a little at the potent burn. "Nah, it's okay. Reno asks for it." Feeling a little emboldened, she considered him with a flirty glance. "So what would you do, if you passed out and woke up to find me giving you CPR?"

"I'd probably thank you for saving my life." His eyes stayed on her as he said it, and she thought she detected some veiled interest in them.

Cissnei braced herself, picturing Elena yelling at her to go for it and stop beating around the bush. "I...might even do it without checking to see if you need it, you know."

For a second, he looked puzzled. "Why would you do that?"

She shrugged, feeling like she might be rushing it. "I mean, because I've never actually _done_ it on a real person before...just a doll. I...I might not be willing to wait...you know? I mean, you could get worse in the time it takes for me to check, and I wouldn't want you to croak because I hesitated." She was losing her nerve, and now she was babbling. Cissnei wanted a paper bag to put over her head.

Reeve's brows furrowed slightly. "Why would that be a problem? Better late than never." There was something in his tone that suggested he was confused by her shift in mannerisms.

_~Great. Now I'm sending him mixed signals. Idiot! Just...just kiss him, or ask for him to kiss you, or say goodnight!~_

Cissnei chewed her lower lip again and she scooted her stool closer to his. "Okay, listen...I'm bad at this. I mean, _really_ bad."

"I don't think you're as bad as you think," he murmured, smiling slightly.

She fought a grimace. Did he think this was an act? "No, I'm really this...ugh! I'm not playing a game. Well, I was...but you weren't picking up on it, so now I'm trying to be real with you. That's what I suck at."

He smiled gently at her and he reached out to pat her hand. "Why don't you just tell me what you're trying to say, Cissnei? I'd rather not misunderstand."

She huffed and stared at him imploringly, willing him to read her mind. How did one just come out and _tell_ a guy like him? Like Reeve, she hadn't dated for a while and she was so used to putting on acts for fact gathering missions, she had trouble remembering how to interact with men she honestly liked.

Reeve stared back at her, and he slowly reached out with one hand to caress her face. "You know, I'm old enough to be your...father's young friend."

She smiled. "Well, maybe I'd like to date my father's young friend. Don't you think he might be interested in dating me?"

"Hmm. Let me check." Reeve looked over his shoulder at the empty air behind him. "Hey, do you object to dating a pretty young Turk? No? I didn't think so."

He looked Cissnei in the eye again and he smiled. "He seems okay with it."

She smiled back. "I wondered if...well, you seemed a little fixated on age."

"Oh, I see a woman when I look at you," he assured, his eyes sweeping her again, "I'm just not in the habit of being a lecher, and I don't like to assume a woman is interested in me just because she's friendly and smiles at me."

"That's because you're a gentleman," she observed. She sighed. "There aren't many of you left."

Reeve took a slow breath. "Well, that's torn it."

"What?" She was suddenly afraid she'd done something wrong, but she couldn't think of what that was.

"If I kiss you now, you might change your mind about me being a gentleman."

Cissnei shook her head rapidly, brown locks flying with the motion. "No I won't! Gentlemen kiss, too! After a date, it's pretty much expected, anyh—"

Her sentence was interrupted when he closed the distance between them and demonstrated that gentlemen could indeed kiss too...and very well, at that. Cissnei almost fell over with surprise, and she wasn't sure what to do with her hands. This was her crush kissing her, not some immature little frat boy. Even without the use of his tongue, the feel of his lips against hers was mind-blowing. When the tongue introduced itself to hers, she imagined she might need a change of panties.

Cissnei put her hands on his shoulders first, kissing him back in a haze of amorous bliss. The slow, sensual glide of his tongue against hers made her entertain thoughts of his naked body shifting on top of hers in the same manner. The slight tickle of his facial hair against her skin inspired curious thoughts about what his kisses might feel like...elsewhere. His hands dropped down on either side of her body, and she made a little squeak of surprise in her throat when he scooted her stool even closer, before putting his arms around her.

Reeve made this _sound_ in his throat that Cissnei found enthralling. It wasn't quite a groan or a growl, but something in between. It conveyed his answering desire for her and she combed her fingers through his dark hair, giving him free reign to plunder her mouth. Everything about it was passionate, yet confident and patient. He didn't drool all over her or try to shove his tongue down her throat or grope her. He just held her and explored her mouth until they were both breathless and bothered.

"Okay," Reeve said after several moments. He drew away from her, but he kept his arms around her. "I think I should stop now."

"You don't have to," she objected.

He glanced down, his face flushing a little. "Actually, I think I do. Not to be crude or anything, but I need to calm down."

She automatically looked down, and her eyebrows went up when she saw the tent in his pants. "Oh. Are we going camping?" She clamped her mouth shut and blushed madly at her own words. "I didn't say that."

He laughed heartily and he rubbed her arms. "It's okay. That was cute."

She shut her eyes and grimaced. "I keep saying such stupid things!"

"I like it when you say stupid things," he assured her, "and they aren't stupid, by the way. They're just free-spirited. You say what's on your mind, and that's good."

"If you say so," she sighed. "As long as I don't scare you off before we've even started."

Reeve gently pinched her chin. "Not a chance, Ciss. However, if I want to retain my status as a gentleman, I'd better finish this nightcap and say goodnight."

She nodded. As much as she would have liked to jump his bones, she didn't want to rush it and give a bad impression.

* * *

After finishing their drinks, Cissnei saw Reeve to the door and he gave her a goodnight kiss that had her knees buckling all over again and made him pitch another tent. She tried not to giggle as he shuffled awkwardly into the hallway and bid her goodnight. She felt like her smile was taking to her ears when she finally shut and locked the door. She waited for the appropriate amount of time to be sure he was down the hall, before she expressed her happiness to the empty little apartment.

"Whoohoo!"

After calming herself down, Cissnei got her phone out of her purse and she dialed the first person that came to mind. She hoped she wasn't calling at a bad time, but she figured if Elena was in the middle of something...spicy...she'd just let her voicemail get it. It was kind of late, so Cissnei expected her partner to be in bed—whether it be her own or Tseng's. She was a little surprised when Elena picked up, and she smiled.

"Elena here."

"Elena! You're never going to believe what just happened!"

"Reeve turned your car into a killer robot and it's rampaging around the city now." Elena's voice had a sour edge to it, but the brunet took it as dry sarcasm.

"No, but...well, not even close. He kissed me. We've officially achieved the beginning stages of itemhood."

"So much for your non-crush." There was the sound of a nose blowing in the background, and Cissnei's excitement died down as she recognized the husky quality of her friend's voice. Ordinarily, Elena would have congratulated her, even if she teased her a bit.

Frowning, Cissnei put her own happiness on the back-burner in favor of concern for the blonde. "Elena, is anything wrong?"

"Men suck. That's what's wrong."

Clearly, something had gone wrong on her date with Tseng. Knowing how frustrated Elena was with their romantic relationship, Cissnei could guess what it was. "Do you want some company?"

Elena's breath hitched a little, betraying her vulnerability. "You don't have to."

"Shut your mouth. I'm coming over. With icecream."

"If you say so."

* * *

"So he really called her name when you were in the middle of it?" Cissnei handed the spoon over to her friend and Elena scooped a bite from the open box of ice cream, nodding.

"Well, we hadn't really gotten _there_ yet, but we were damned close. A few more clothes hitting the floor would have been it for us."

Cissnei winced in sympathy. "I've had something like that happen to me before, but at least mine just called out the name of an actress. I could forgive him for fantasizing about some celebrity, but that's different."

"Yeah," sighed Elena, "mine was fantasizing about a dead girl that he knew in real life, and was apparently secretly in love with. He obviously still is." She took a bite of icecream and passed the spoon back to Cissnei. "I always knew he wasn't that into our relationship. I think he only asked me out because he knew what an enormous crush I had on him, and I wouldn't turn him down."

"Don't put yourself down just because he's a moron," admonished Cissnei. "You're beautiful, you're sexy, you're confident and any guy would be lucky to have you."

"Is that why you think _they'd_ want me, or is that why _you_ want me?"

Cissnei laughed around the spoon. "Sorry, I'm taken now. But you know, maybe it's better for you to have closure. If he can't appreciate what's right in front of him, then you're better off without him."

"Please don't give me the 'breakup pep talk', Ciss. I'm not in the mood for it." Elena reached for the spoon again and dug into the ice cream.

"Sorry. I'm just saying what I think. You've just waited for so long for things to move and now he pulls a stunt like _this_? If he weren't my boss, I'd kick his ass!"

"No you wouldn't," predicted the blonde. "You'd lose your nerve at the last minute, forgive him and make excuses for him."

"You make me sound spineless."

"Oh, you've got a spine against enemies," answered Elena, "But against friends and coworkers, you're a big softie. You'd come back to me saying he got scared and he's really sorry and maybe I should give him a second chance. I know you, girl."

Cissnei blew a sigh. She tried to stay somber for her friend's sake, but she kept thinking of Reeve's kiss. "_All_ men don't suck."

"Yes they do," insisted Elena. "They suck, and as long as you're under my roof you're going to agree with me. You can gush over your hot engineer tomorrow at work."

"Fine," agreed Cissnei, glad to see Elena hadn't lost her fire. "Hmm. You know, Tseng isn't your only option. There's a certain redhead that looks like a rock star and smells like a candle shop—"

"Is that why _you_ think I should go after him, or is that why _you_ want to go after him?"

Cissnei spread her hands. "I'm just saying, if I were you and I wanted a good rebound, he's right there and he's reboundable, if you ask me. If it weren't for Reeve and if I thought he might be remotely interested in me, I'd consider it."

"You aren't helping," Elena muttered. "Remember, I hate men right now. Please support my right to do that and stop trying to set me up."

"I'm not trying to set you up," argued the brunette, "I'm trying to get you laid."

"I don't even want to _look_ at a man right now," sighed Elena. "Just forget it. Let's just eat the ice cream and put on a low grade horror flick."

Cissnei nodded. "Okay."

* * *

-To be continued


	4. Chapter 4

"Prism"

Chapter 4

A FF7 fanfiction

* * *

**Disclaimer: Final Fantasy and all characters therein are the property of Square-Enix. This fanfiction is a strictly non-profit endeavor meant for entertainment purposes, only.**

* * *

It was more than a chore, to show up at work and pretend that nothing had happened. Every time she saw him, she wanted to punch him. It certainly didn't help that he was her superior, and his ridiculous guilt didn't help. Tseng was terrible at dealing with his self-guilt, she discovered. His coping mechanism for it seemed to be showering her with perks she hadn't really earned. At first, Elena took it. Knowing that he was suffering at least a little over his horrible blunder provided a weak balm for her pride.

It wasn't enough, though. She'd been dating him exclusively for over a year, and to have that crowning moment of success spoiled by the memory of a dead girl was just unacceptable. She decided that it was impossible to glean true satisfaction from his decision to torture himself, because he was only doing it to make _him_ feel better. It was one of those things like giving to charity because someone stuck a bucket in front of you. She stuck the bucket in front of him by showing him how badly his actions had hurt her.

It was coercive and dishonest. It left a bad taste in her mouth, so for her own piece of mind, Elena stopped trying to let him make things better. She cornered him in the hall at the beginning of the weekend, and she pulled him aside to have a word with him alone.

"I'm not going to tell you that it's okay, and I understand," she informed him determinedly. "I'm not going to play your emotions, the way you did mine. I've grown since I first joined, Tseng, and I don't have room for this bullshit. Treat me like a Turk and assign me because you think I can handle things; not because you want to make up for your blunder."

Tseng smirked slightly, his dark gaze holding hers despite his obvious discomfort. "Yes, you _have_ grown. You never would have spoken to me in this tone of voice, a couple of years ago."

Elena shrugged and she looked down at the floor, old instincts rising to steal her thunder. She gritted her teeth and she forced her gaze to meet his. "I'm not that uncertain girl you knew, Tseng. I'm a woman now, and I know what I want."

"And what is that?" He tilted his head slightly, and he managed to look unfairly gorgeous. Elena stared at him and blinked.

_~You shit. You won't get away with this.~_

"I…I want a boyfriend that can tell a ghost from a real woman and appreciate me," she answered, her voice unsteady. She cleared her throat and braced herself. "I'm not looking for a white picket fence, and I don't expect you to toss your jacket down over mud puddles for me. I don't think it's too much to ask for you to remember my name during sex, though."

"I already tried to explain," he excused, "Elena, that was nothing."

"Nothing compared to how bad it could be, eventually," she corrected. "Tseng, I've spent more than a _year_ trying to crack your shell." She spread her hands. "Gaia knows, I've spent even more than _that_ trying to get your attention. I don't even care if it's my fault or yours, anymore. I can deal with you missing an old girlfriend—you've got that right. You broke the rule, though. You're not supposed to make it that obvious to your partner that you're thinking of someone else, when you're about to have sex."

Tseng sighed and lowered his gaze. "I'm very sorry for that. I didn't want to hurt you."

She resisted the urge to slap him with difficulty. "Stop trying to be so noble. You messed up. Saying you 'didn't want to hurt me' doesn't help."

The director sighed. "Then what do you want me to do, Elena?"

She shook her head, her expression troubled and her hazel eyes restless. "Nothing, dammit. There's nothing you _can_ do. I've invested enough time in this."

"Then…you want to end this."

She fought back a lump in her throat, feeling like a failure. She'd tried so _hard_ to be with him, but there came a time when one had to admit that one-sided effort wasn't enough. "I can't end something that never started, Tseng."

"I told you I needed your patience," he reminded. He reached out to take hold of her arm.

"I've been more patient than any woman should ever be expected to be," she shot back, pulling out of his grip. "Or man, for that matter. You need to figure out what you want, Tseng. I can't keep hoping it's me."

He didn't try to stop her again as she strode away. He watched her go with silently regretful eyes, never calling out as she left his presence.

* * *

"Okay people, this is an illegal operation but so far, none of the participants have been hostile to any surrounding territories." Reeve spoke the reminder as he led the team into the Mithril Mines. "Stay sharp. We want to resolve this without blood shed if possible, but we don't know what these people are capable of."

Cissnei nodded in agreement and she turned to her team of Turks. "You heard the Commissioner. Don't try to show off, just do the job we're here for and put safety first, okay?"

"You got it, Cissnei," answered one of the guys with a nod of respect. The Turks were to go in first and deliver a warning to the workers inside. If they failed to comply with the order, they would send word for the WRO operatives to begin the raid, and the miners would be rounded up and arrested.

"Cissnei," Reeve called impulsively as the petite brunette turned to follow her people into the mines. She stopped and turned, looking at him curiously. He had to admire her professional attitude, even as it made him feel a bit uncertain of himself. "Be careful, in there."

The "work mask" dropped for a second, and she favored him with one of those sweet, dimpled smiles that made him forget the questionable propriety of dating a younger coworker. "We will. I'll call for backup the minute it looks hairy."

Reeve smiled back and nodded. He wished he could go in there with her, but his part in the protocol was to oversee the endeavor and avoid putting himself in harm's way. Sometimes he hated being in an executive position, and he briefly regretted not bringing Cait Sith with him to get in on the action. Looking at the large shuriken she held as she walked away, Reeve reminded himself that Cissnei was a Turk, and she was more than capable of taking care of herself without him. He couldn't let their personal relationship interfere with their working one.

* * *

"This activity hasn't been sanctioned by ShinRa Inc, or the WRO." Cissnei approached the apparent foreman of the digging team, keeping her hands close to the pistols holstered at her hips. Her big shuriken was strapped to her back, and she watched the men warily as she approached, ready to act if necessary. "You've been legally informed to cease all mining and give yourself over to ShinRa authorities."

The apparent leader of the operation paused to look at her, but he didn't tell his people to stop. He nodded at a couple of nearby grunts when they paused, and they went on their way. He looked the petite brunette up and down. "You gonna stop us, girlie?"

Cissnei tilted her head to one side and she sighed, bored with the typical behavior. "As a matter of fact, I am. Only if you make me, though. Does this have to get ugly?"

The foreman chuckled, his gaze un-apologetically crude on her. "Maybe it will…in a good way. I don't take orders from—"

Cissnei's foot interrupted whatever he was going to say. His head whipped to the side as her shoe connected rudely with his jaw, before he could even react. He stumbled and spit a tooth out, groaning in surprise. The Turk girl reached not for her guns, but for her Shuriken. Her companions likewise reached for their weapons, waiting for her word.

"Maybe I didn't make myself clear," Cissnei told him calmly. She lifted the impressive weapon from its holster at her back. "I didn't say this was a multiple choice option. Put the weapons down and come with us…_now_."

He seemed to suffer a comprehension issue. Instead of listening to her warning and heeding it accordingly, he drew a gun—or he tried to. Cissnei's foot again intercepted him, and he found the weapon spinning out of his hand and into the ravine. There were shouts of alarm as the workers came to realize they were caught in a shakedown, and rather than try to assist the foreman, they all started to make a beeline for the exit.

* * *

"Classy," muttered Reeve as he witnessed the flow of traffic coming out of the mines. He wondered if the Turks set off a bomb or something inside, to get everyone moving so fast. He drew his phone from his coat and he hit the speed dial. Cissnei didn't respond, and he sighed.

"Mr. Tuesti? Should we go in?"

Reeve turned to regard the eager young WRO operative that asked the question. "No, not yet. The Turks said they had this handled. We'll leave it to them, until we get a call for backup."

He immediately turned into a hypocrite when he heard the echoing gunshots going off, inside the mines.

"Screw it, we're going in."

Despite his own cautionary orders, he drew his gun and got moving. Several of his staff joined him, and he charged towards the entrance to the mines. It was a bit like swimming against the current, with so many people trying to flood out of the mines at the same time. Reeve started to blurt colorful insults at them as he tried to squeeze through the throng of human bodies, his mind on his new girlfriend. True, Cissnei could take care of herself, but she was built so small and the thought of her getting crushed in the crowd made him anxious.

"Cissnei?" He shouted the inquiry as soon as he spotted the familiar head of wavy auburn hair. She was busy herding the masses, and she evidently didn't hear him. Berating himself for losing his cool over a standard mission, Reeve pulled his thoughts together and ordered his people to help round up the miners, before they could flee the scene.

* * *

"Well, I'm embarrassed."

Cissnei leaned against the boulder Reeve was sitting on, and she smiled at him. "Why?"

He shrugged, glancing in the direction of the cave. "I was ready to charge in there and come to your rescue."

She looked at him in full, and she glanced around to be sure nobody was in immediate visual range. She took the commissioner's hands in hers and she squeezed them, smiling at him. "You were worried about me?"

Reeve shrugged again, boyish despite his age and stature. "Can you blame a guy for worrying? I'm trying to wean myself off it, but—"

"That's okay," she assured him with a chuckle, cutting off his apology. She cast another quick glance around, and she kissed him swiftly on the lips. "I like that you feel protective of me, now and then. I'm not offended."

"Thank gods," he muttered, kissing her back. "I'm not used to dating you new-fangled broads."

Cissnei drew back, one brow arching to her hairline. "New-fangled? Broads?"

"Shit, I put my foot into my mouth again." Reeve started to smack himself in the face.

Cissnei caught hold of his wrist in mid-swing, helplessly caught in a fit of giggles. "It's…it's okay. Reeve, stop!" She lost her hold on him, but he'd stopped trying to slap himself and he was grinning at her.

"Have I mentioned what a cute smile you've got?"

"I'll…keep it in mind," she said between snickers. She looked around to see what the progress was, and she sobered when one of her team approached from the mine entrance.

"Miss Cissnei, it's all cleared out," he informed. "Our MP's are rounding up all of the workers. We've found no more inside the mines."

"Good. I'll report in to Tseng," she said. She gave Reeve an apologetic look. "Excuse me."

He nodded in understanding and he watched as she phoned in the report.

* * *

"I hate you…I hate you not."

Elena continued to mutilate the poor rose gifted to her by her pitifully uncertain, former beau.

"I hate you…I hate you not."

Another petal fluttered to the floor of her little bedroom.

"What's the point?" she muttered to herself with a sigh. "I know how it's going to end. I'll hate him, no matter what. Stupid Tseng and his stupid red dot and his stupid sexiness." She sighed at the petals drifting to the floor, and she bent over to pick them up. She rubbed one of the silky petals between her thumb and forefinger, pondering it as if it had answers to all of her miserable questions.

"Why can't I just shut it off? It isn't fair." She pouted over it, and she bent her legs and wrapped her arms around them. She had the right to sulk. She'd _earned_ it. However, it wasn't as satisfying to sulk alone wallowing in her own self-pity. She had no audience aside from herself, and the more she thought of it, the more pathetic it seemed.

"Fuck this shit."

Elena dropped her feet to the floor and she propelled herself off the mattress. She heaved a sigh and she whipped out her cell, guessing she could reach Rude or Reno at this hour for a game of pool and some beers. Cissnei would have her hands full with her assignment—and possibly Tuesti.

Reno wasn't answering his cell…and neither was Rude. She pondered that briefly, running her tongue over teeth. With a sigh and another shrug, she gave up for the moment and she put her cell away. She decided to get lost on the town, and she locked up her apartment and headed to the elevator. She stopped by Headquarters first, in the off-chance that her partner might be back from her mission. When she spotted Genesis Rhapsodos coming out of the elevators, she made haste for the main doors.

"You. Blonde Turk."

Elena stopped in her tracks and clenched her jaw, annoyed. She turned around to face the approaching SOLDIER operative, staring boldly up at him. "My name is Elena."

Genesis smirked, and he gave her a cordial bow that was probably better suited to another era. "Elena, then. You came here for something, didn't you?"

Her mind drew a blank. Did she? What in the hell _did_ she come there for? She couldn't recall—but she wasn't about to let _him_ know that. "Maybe. What business is that of yours?"

"He doesn't appreciate you." Genesis started to toy with the tickets in his gloved hands, weaving them effortlessly between his fingers. "Have you ever been to an Opera, Elena?"

She grimaced, her hazel gaze following the motion of the tickets fluttering between his fingers. "I can't say that I have."

"Would you like to?" Genesis stopped his playing, and he offered one of the tickets to her between his forefinger and second finger. His aqua gaze was completely unreadable as it stared into hers. "No-one need know but us."

Elena fought a grin. "I'm not sure I'm the Opera type."

"How do you know, if you've never tried?" Genesis smiled crookedly at her. "It's an open invitation, at any rate. You have at least an hour to decide. There's no immediate rush, but I'd like to arrive before the curtains open."

She glanced at the watch on his wrist as he checked it, and immediately after that, she stared up at him. It seemed unfair that any man could look so damned good, without even trying. Genesis seemed to share Tseng's penchant for sex appeal. There were rules about rebounding that she should follow here, too.

"If nothing else, it may take your mind off things," coaxed the redhead, sensing her ambiguity.

Elena couldn't deny that. A night out with a hot young guy on her arm might at the very least boost her flagging self-confidence. At least this time, she wouldn't have exhaustion smudges under her eyes to contend with.

She shrugged, giving in. "Is dinner included?"

"There's a fine restaurant just around the block," he assured her. "It stays open 'till midnight, so there should be plenty of time to get a meal after the show."

She nodded. "That works for me. Meet me in the lobby in an hour?" She almost told him to pick her up at her place, but she wasn't sure she wanted to point out where she lived.

"Absolutely. I'll see you then."

She watched him go, and she took a few moments to ponder recent events. "I'm actually going on a _date_ with this guy," she whispered to herself, frowning. She blamed it on Tseng, of course. If he hadn't done what he did, she wouldn't be in this position, now. She didn't even _like_ opera or classical music.

* * *

"Well, this isn't good."

Elena browsed through her closet unhappily. The only nice gown she had in there was the one she'd worn on her last date with Tseng. She couldn't remember the last time she'd actually been on a shopping trip. She considered the gown and she immediately vetoed the idea. Tonight was about forgetting about Tseng, and wearing that dress wouldn't help with that.

Her phone went off, startling her enough to make her jump. She juggled it out of her vest pocket and rolled her eyes at her own jumpiness. "Elena, here."

"Whatcha' doing?"

The blonde grinned at the familiar voice of her partner. "I'm standing here looking into the closet that time forgot."

"That bad, is it? You know the cure for that."

Elena nodded. "We've got to put another shopping trip on the calendar, Ciss. I've got a date tonight and nothing to wear for it."

"A date?" She could imagine the brunette perking up. "So you're giving Tseng another chance?"

"Pfft, yeah, right. Tseng can suck my nonexistent fat one. I've got a date with…er…someone else."

"Who? 'Fess up!"

"Nobody important," she said, keeping her voice as neutral as possible. "Just a guy. He had a spare ticket to a show and he asked if I wanted to come with. I may have to let him know it's a bust, though. I'm not wearing the same thing I wore to my last date with Tseng."

"How important is it that you go on this date?" questioned Cissnei.

Elena shrugged, but in truth, now that she had the invitation, she really wanted to go on this date with Rhapsodos. She thought it would be good for her. She just wanted to feel pretty again, even if it was through the eyes of a guy she didn't trust any further than she could throw him.

"Relatively important. It's therapeutic."

"Well, there's a shop right down the block you could go to for a quick fix. Just don't take the tag off and return it tomorrow, if you don't want to keep the dress."

"Hmm." Elena found the idea appealing. "Think I could get away with that?"

"I've done it before," confessed Cissnei. "Do you think you have it covered, or do I need to wire you some money to borrow?"

"No, I've got it," answered Elena. "As long as their dresses and shoes don't go over a thousand, I'm good. I'd better get going, if I'm going to make it in time."

"Okay, good luck! Oh, and Elena?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't rebound on this guy, okay? Whoever he is, he's not worth waking up in shame tomorrow."

"I'm not stupid," snorted Elena. Like she'd sleep with Rhapsodos. Good looking or not, she could just imagine what a guy with SOLDIER strength could do just by accident if he got carried away in the bedroom. "Don't worry, Ciss. I'll keep my head."

* * *

She was a little late, but she made it back to HQ with a new, forest-green satin gown and a pair of matching heels. She'd pinned her short-trimmed hair back with jeweled hair combs shaped in the likeness of dragonflies. Genesis was standing in the lobby looking at his watch and she had to stop for a moment and admire him. Crazy or not, the boy looked damned good in a suit.

"I'm here," she announced as she walked over to him.

"You're late." He looked up from his watch, and his eyes scanned her. "But I think I can forgive you that, considering how stunning you look."

She willed her cheeks to remain cool. This night was off to a great start already, and she felt a little better about herself even if his honeyed words were just words. "You're not bad yourself. So, are we taking a company car or—"

"I've hired a driver," he answered before she could complete the question.

"You have expensive taste." But that made sense, really. Genesis came from a well-off family and it seemed natural that he wouldn't spare any expense on a night out.

"I tend not to do things in halves," he answered calmly. "Shall we?"

She took the arm he offered to her. "Let's go."

* * *

Reeve went to Cissnei's place with her after they returned to HQ and got cleaned up from the mission. She'd convinced him to come over for a movie night together, since Elena was out possibly getting herself into trouble with her mystery date.

"I thought this one might look good to you," she told him as she selected a dvd and showed it to him. "It's a classic."

Reeve glanced at it, and he chuckled as he reached for his beer. "I do watch modern films and listen to modern music, you know."

"Oh, sure!" She blushed. "I'm…trying too hard, aren't I?"

He shook his head. "Not at all. I think it's cute that you worry so much about what I like."

"Hmm." She sat down on his lap and gave him a little kiss. "Maybe you should go through my collection and pick something. I'm easy."

Reeve put an arm around her, setting his beer aside on the lamp table. "Careful. Someone might take that the wrong way?"

She gave him a puzzled frown. "Take what the wrong way? Picking out a movie?"

"No, the part about being easy." He waggled his brows at her.

She laughed and playfully slapped his chest. "Be a gentleman, now!"

"I am," he assured her. "My hands haven't wandered, have they?"

"No," she admitted. And that was a shame in itself. She certainly wouldn't object to a little groping, but their relationship was still in the beginning stages and she didn't want to jinx it. She looked at him coyly from beneath lowered lashes. "So, do you want to have a look?"

Reeve's hands settled on her hips, drifting no further than that. "Sure. I'd like another kiss, first."

She combed her fingers through his hair, still slightly damp from the shower he'd had at HQ. "I think I can do that." She gave him the requested kiss, and she giggled when he held her close as she tried to pull away. "Don't be greedy."

Reeve sighed and released her. "Right. I should be a gentlemen. Let's see what you have on file to watch."

"'On file'?" she repeated. "You make it sound like the office."

He laughed softly. "I _did_ say that, didn't I? Sorry, Toots. My head stays at work, sometimes."

"Well, get it _out_ of work," she insisted. "We're supposed to be relaxing. There's going to be plenty more work to do tomorrow."

"True," he agreed, chagrined. "I'll try not to let my habits run away with me again." He got up and walked over to the dvd collection lining the wall by the television. "Do we want action or comedy? Or maybe something romantic?"

"You won't find a lot of 'chick flicks' in there," she told him, clasping her hands before her hips. "I've got cartoons, though."

"I would have expected you to be a 'romantic comedy' girl," he mused.

"Nope, not me. I think most of them are too cheesy and unrealistic." She sighed at the end without meaning to. No, romantic films rarely reflected reality. Poor Elena couldn't likely expect a man like Tseng to make some big, romantic gesture to win her back. He'd probably cut his losses and move on. She just hoped Elena could do the same.

Reeve noticed her sudden change of mood and he turned to regard her with quiet concern in his dark eyes. "Did I say something wrong? It was the stereotyping, wasn't it? I know I've still got some old fashioned notions, but I promise, I know you're not—"

"It's okay," she assured him with a smile. "You didn't offend me. I know I come off as the sort of girl that likes ice cream, kittens, the color pink and romantic movies when I'm off the clock. I was just thinking of a friend of mine."

"Oh? Is it anything I can help with?"

She shook her head. "I don't think so. She just broke up with her boyfriend and she's out on a date with some other guy, tonight."

"Well, maybe that's a good thing," he reasoned. "She's not dwelling on it, and she's getting out and living. The last time I went through a bad breakup, I stayed home crying for two days."

Cissnei lost her train of thought at that admission, and she stared at him. "You did?"

Reeve looked faintly embarrassed, his handsome features flushing a little. "Well, it was a pretty bad breakup. Things besides hearts got broken, that day."

She winced. "She threw stuff?"

"We both did," sighed the engineer. "It was brutal. She threw a dish that almost hit me, so I threw a vase…not at _her_, of course, but at the floor. It was her favorite. After that, it turned into a big smash fest while we screamed obscenities at each other. The neighbors called the police, thinking we were killing each other."

"Ouch." Cissnei stepped closer to him, curious to know more. "What caused the breakup? I mean, if you don't mind telling me."

"She was sick of competing with my work," he answered. "There wasn't any cheating involved, if that's what you're thinking. At least, not that I know of. She was just tired of my work schedule sucking up all my time. I'm sure I provoked the first dish throwing, somehow, but I can't remember what I said before I had to duck the flying saucer."

Cissnei put a hand over her mouth to stop a giggle. "I'm sorry," she said, clearing her throat. "There's nothing funny about that. It's just the way you described it."

He grinned at her. "That's all right. I don't want to depress you with the details. She moved out that night and that was the end of that. I haven't been on a date since, until I started seeing you."

"Really? So how long ago was that?"

He blew a sigh and looked up at the ceiling in consideration, mentally counting time. "Oh, I'd say about ten years ago, give or take a few months."

Cissnei's eyes widened. "_Ten years_? You haven't been on a date in ten years? I know you said you didn't get the chance much but…wow! I mean…look at you! How could you go without a date in…oh, I'm sorry. I'm babbling, aren't I?"

He was looking uncomfortable, and she could have kicked herself. She closed the distance between them and put her arms around him. "Okay, no more talk about your ex," she promised, kissing him swiftly on the mouth. "I'll just say her loss is my gain, and leave it at that."

He hugged her back, smiling. "You're a peach. Don't worry too much about your friend, okay? I'm sure she can handle a date."

"Yeah," she sighed. "I just hope the 'handling' doesn't go too far, if you know what I mean."

"Well, even if it does, she's mature enough to know to use protection, isn't she?"

"Physical protection, yes. Ah, sorry. Elena's a big girl and…oops." She wasn't supposed to mention her name, and she winced.

"Ah, I see." Reeve stroked her hair. "She's not just a friend, she's your partner. Well, from what I've seen of Elena, she's a tough cookie. I take this to mean she's not with Tseng, anymore?"

"She just broke up with him," confirmed Cissnei. "Over something I can't get into, but trust me, it was pretty bad."

"And who is this guy she's going out with tonight?"

She shook her head. "I have no idea. She wouldn't tell me and I didn't want to press her, because I know she's been through hell."

"Then you'll just have to trust her," he reasoned. He gave her another kiss and he rubbed her back. "I think maybe a comedy is what we need, tonight."

"I like that idea," agreed Cissnei.

* * *

Elena had _no idea_ what in the hell was going on. She sat in the private balcony with her date, watching the stage with the pair of little binoculars given to her by the usher. They were singing in a different language about Gaia only knew what. She had to admit that the man and the woman's vocal ranges were both highly impressive, but for all she knew, they were lamenting the hassle of doing laundry in the middle ages.

"What's going on now?" she asked her date, her eyes following the dancing motions of the gossamer-clad girls moving across the stage. They circled around the couple singing to each other in the center.

"Lillian is telling William that she can't be with him," answered Genesis patiently. "That's old Midgardian they're speaking. It's practically a dead dialect, yet most operas are written in it."

"Oh." She frowned and looked at him sidelong. "Why write a play in a language nobody speaks anymore?'

"Opera," he corrected, "and it's traditional. It isn't a difficult language to learn, actually."

"Hmph. If you say so." She took her eyes off of him, purposely putting her attention back on the singers and dancers on the stage. The woman's voice was plaintive and sad, and the man's was demanding and full of pain. A lump of sympathy formed in her throat as the couple lamented their inability to be together. "So, why can't she be with him again?"

"Her father promised her to another man," answered the SOLDIER operative.

"Then why won't they just run away together?" she demanded, gesturing at the stage with copper-polished nails. "It isn't like they're surrounded by guards. She's a person, not a piece of meat her Dad can trade."

"Bear in mind the era this piece takes place in," reminded Genesis in a low voice. He sat forward in his seat and he spoke into her ear, drawing a shiver from her. "In those days, it was common for parents to arrange marriage for their offspring. Lillian has no choice and neither does William."

"Well, that sucks," Elena announced, biting her lip on a frown. Their sad song was starting to get to her, and before she knew it, her vision started to blur. "Um, excuse me," she muttered, turning her face away from Genesis. "I've got something in my eye."

He tapped her lightly on the shoulder and she dared a glance at him, to find him offering a handkerchief to her. A little surprised, she took it and she daintily dabbed at her eyes with it. "I guess you're used to girls crying over this, when you take them to see it."

Genesis smirked. "I may have shed a tear or two myself, in the past. My constitution is stronger now."

She found it very hard to believe he actually wept at plays or operas, but she considered that the man had the heart of a poet and she gave way to the possibility that he could be telling the truth. She sniffed and balled up the handkerchief in her fist, hanging onto it just in case.

"You know, you could have told me they were bartering for chickens or something, and I wouldn't have known any better."

A low, soft laugh was his response, and she found herself admiring the sound. It was sensual somehow, much like the owner of that voice. "How do you know I haven't embellished already? It's possible that they _are_ bartering chickens, and I merely told you a fib to soften you up."

Elena couldn't decide if she was more annoyed or amused, but the teasing glint in his aqua gaze told her he was only playing with her. "Somehow, I don't see Genesis Rhapsodos going to an opera about a farmer's market."

He coughed politely into his hand before answering her. "You never know. The theater is about comedy _and_ tragedy. I enjoy a good satire as much as the next person."

Elena listened to the ending of the song uncertainly. "It's not though, is it? About chicken bartering?"

He shook his head, smiling crookedly at her. "No. It really is about her sad engagement news. I haven't the crudeness to lie about that."

She had to admit, she kind of loved the way he talked. His language was so flowing and elegant, and it didn't seem to quite _fit_ in the world of today. "Are you sure you aren't some kind of time traveler from a bygone era, or something?"

"Why would you ask such a question?" He tilted his head curiously.

"You just…speak…oh, never mind. Let's just watch the rest of this thing so I can cry my makeup off." She knew she should have worn waterproof mascara.

Genesis offered no argument, but instead, he patted her on the shoulder soothingly. "That's the beauty of reserving private box seats. You can cry as much as you like, with no-one the wiser for it."

She sighed. Now she'd made herself good and vulnerable for him. "Good going, Elena."

"Pardon?"

"Nothing." She gathered her wits and emotions, telling herself to treat it like a mission. There was no crying on missions. Turks didn't cry.

* * *

It turned out to be a better night than she expected. Elena decided that intermissions existed so that the audience could pull itself together and have a break from the angst. With Genesis translating the goings-on, she found herself drawn into the story being performed on the stage. She'd never considered herself to be a great lover of the arts, but maybe it was half due to the attractive company she had for the duration. Genesis had a voice that just drew the listener in, and she couldn't quite get over the way his words effortlessly rolled from his lips.

The story didn't end well for Lillian or William. Tragedies rarely did. William went off to war and was killed. When she got word of it, Lillian ended her own life. It was on the tip of Elena's tongue to ask Genesis why in the _hell_ he brought her to see this thing, if he knew the ending would be so depressing. She saw the way he was swallowing as the curtains closed and she refrained, realizing that he was stricken with emotion as much as she was.

"Um…do you need this back?" She started to offer the handkerchief back to him, only to remember she'd already blown her nose into it. "On second thought, you probably don't want this back until after I've washed it."

"I'll manage," he assured her with a smirk. "As I said; I'm more accustomed to this piece than you are."

"Hmph…so your idea of a good time is to get super depressed and cry." She sighed and wiped her eyes again. "But…it was good. I never thought I'd get into an opera like this, so…thanks."

Genesis looked as though he wanted to laugh, but his sculpted features remained quietly amused. "Gratitude from you is like a glass of rare, expensive wine. I think I should savor it."

She smiled tremulously at him. "I must come off as a super bitch to people."

"No, just guarded," he answered. "I've seen much worse."

Elena sighed. It was difficult to tell if he was just being kind or sincere. She imagined in his line of work, he'd probably seen the best and the worst of humanity. It was of some small comfort to her to be reassured that she didn't count amongst the worst. Her stomach rumbled, but she ignored it when the players stepped out on the stage to take their bow. She stood up with the rest of the audience and clapped heartily, hooting spontaneously. When she realized she was alone in the hooting, she blushed and shut her mouth, shrugging at her date when she noticed him looking at her with amusement.

"Hey, I said it was good," she reminded him. "This is how we sloppy people express appreciation, so sue me."

She thought she heard him chuckle.

* * *

Elena was used to being taken to expensive places for dinner, thanks to Tseng. After freshening up her makeup in the bathroom, she and Genesis left the theater to visit the restaurant he'd promised to take her to. He opened the door for her and offered his hand when the driver stopped at the curb, and he instructed him to park the car and wait for them.

"I've been here before," Elena said in recognition as they walked to the front doors together. "With…er…never mind."

"Your director," guessed Genesis. "I would have liked to take you somewhere fresh, but I'm afraid there are only so many good restaurants in Junon. We could go somewhere else, if you want."

Unwillingly touched by the gesture, she shook her head. "No, it's okay. You already went through the trouble of making a reservation and I'll get over it." She considered him thoughtfully, admiring the way the streetlights highlighted his face. "I have to admit, I didn't expect you to be like this."

"Like what?" He looked mildly curious.

"I don't know…nice?"

Genesis' mouth twitched. "And what did you expect? For me to paw at you, perhaps?"

"No, nothing like that. I knew you were polite. I guess I just expected you to be a little harder to talk to. More aloof. No offense, but you act like you're better than everyone else on the field."

"Because on the field, I am." He shrugged unapologetically. "But this is a date. A man is inferior to his date, if he knows what's good for him."

She found that logic both perplexing and funny, and she giggled. She forgave him his arrogance concerning his worth on the field. "'Inferior', huh? So does that make you my servant for the night?"

He winked at her. "Your _humble_ servant; at least for the night." He opened the door to the restaurant for her.

For a second, she stood there flustered. The wink really _did it_ for her, and for the first time since her talk with him, she actually forgot all about Tseng. It only lasted until she passed through the doors, but it was enough to make her realize this man posed a different sort of danger to her.

She wasn't really paying attention and she nearly ran into a lady who was heading for the door with her date. Elena moved aside at the last minute, and her ankle twisted. She flailed briefly and caught hold of Genesis' arm, before she could fall. "Crap."

"I've got you." His arm went around her and a tiny corner of her brain told her to milk the moment for all it was worth. He'd never believe any helpless act she tried to put on, though. Elena had already demonstrated to him how stubbornly independent she tended to be.

"It's nothing," she said. "I just lost my balance." She winced as she put her foot down, testing her weight on it. It would be ironic for her to make it through tons of missions without a scratch to show for it, and end up in the hospital over an uncooperative shoe.

The receptionist came to show them to their table, and Genesis supported Elena as they followed her. "I'll have them bring some ice, if you need it."

"I'm sure that won't be necessary, she said. "I fall a lot. I'll manage."

He looked down at her foot. "Still, I'd like to have a look once we're seated. You're my responsibility."

She raised her brows at him. "Do you want to run that by me again?"

"You're my responsibility," he repeated calmly. "I asked you out, and I'm responsible for making sure you get home safely. Is that so offensive, to you?"

"Uh…well, no." She scratched her head uncomfortably. His reasoning made it seem less sexist than she initially thought. "So if _I_ took _you_ out on a date…"

"You'd be responsible for me," he finished for her, smirking again. "That's the answer you're fishing for, isn't it? Surely you know I wouldn't be foolish enough to say otherwise."

Elena sighed. There was no sneaking, with this guy. "Sure."

Genesis pulled her chair out for her and made an inviting, elegant gesture. She took her seat, and he turned to the hostess. "Please have some ice and napkins brought to us. I'd also like a chilled bottle of red."

Red. Of course, he'd drink red. Tseng usually preferred white. This might be a nice change. "You don't need to bring ice," she started to say, but Genesis laid a hand on her shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

"My date is stubborn," he said. "She'd take a bullet wound and call it a scratch. Please, bring the ice."

The woman nodded and smiled. "Of course, sir."

Elena gave him an annoyed look. "Hey, I said—"

Her words lodged in her throat as Genesis knelt before her. He took her right ankle gently, his fingers warm as they pressed lightly to feel along the bone and joint. He was looking down at it, not noticing her stare as he took her shoe off and set it aside. She winced when he pressed down on a tender spot and he looked up at her.

"There may be some swelling. Can you move it?"

She nodded and did so, blushing in spite of herself. "It's probably just a little sprain. It isn't like I broke it or anything."

He kneaded it gently, his skilled, sensitive fingers working over the injury in a way that made her want to…do things to him. "Well, I suppose this is all I can do for it, now. I didn't have the foresight to equip any materia, tonight."

"I'm not going to use materia over a tiny little sprain, anyhow."

He chuckled and met her eyes again. "You wouldn't have to. If I had it on me, I would be using it now, regardless of your protests."

"Hey, no means no," she reminded him, arching a brow.

"It's injury care," he insisted. "Not sex. But enough of that…it doesn't seem to be swelling up at an alarming rate and you can move it, so I'm satisfied."

She almost regretted it when he released her ankle and took his seat across from her. He had a very nice touch, and it felt good to get a little pampering. Genesis began to look at the menu, and she did the same. She grimaced a little when she saw the prices, and she remembered why she never came to eat here on her own.

"I've never dined here before," announced the redhead. "Is there anything you'd recommend?"

"Hmm…what sort of food do you like?"

Genesis shrugged. "I have no particular favorites, save fruit."

"Ah, dumbapples," she remembered. "I don't think they have anything with them in it."

"They wouldn't," he sighed. "They only grow in sparse few places, these days. The destruction of Banora saw to that."

She winced again. Tseng had ordered that air strike. "I…I'm sorry."

"For what?" He glanced up from the menu at her.

"About Banora."

He smirked without humor, his amazing eyes settling on the menu again. "Had the Turks not finished the town off, I might have. I wasn't…myself. I had no interest in preserving the place I grew up in, Elena."

She nodded, remembering the reports. Maybe now was the time for a change of subject. "Well, the duck is really good," she said smoothly, adopting her professional attitude to cover up the awkward sympathy she felt for him. "Cissnei won't eat it because it makes her feel guilty, but I've had it before."

"Eating duck makes her feel guilty?"

Elena nodded. "She says they're too cute to eat, and the last time she tried she felt horrible for days afterwards."

Genesis chuckled under his breath. "Cute."

Elena gave him a warning look. "Hi, remember me…your date?"

"I didn't say you weren't cute too," he corrected.

"That's better." Elena smiled at him, finding it easier now. He was in danger of seeming mortal to her. In fact, the more time she spent with him like this, the more she risked liking him. So, this was Genesis Rhapsodos without the typical battle arrogance. Not bad.

"I think I'll have the fish," she said after some thought. "The blackened trout. I haven't had that in a while."

Genesis nodded. "Appetizers?"

She looked. "Um…I really enjoyed the stuffed mushrooms, the last time I was here."

"Then we'll order up a serving of those," he promised.

The waitress came with the wine, two glasses and a bowl of the requested ice. She set down the napkin first and placed the ice bowl on top of it. "Here you are," she said with a smile. "Have you decided on a meal, or should I give you more time?"

"We'll start with a plate of the stuffed mushrooms," answered Genesis. "And could you bring us two glasses of icewater, when it's ready?"

"Absolutely," she agreed. "Will there be anything else?"

"I think I'll have the cutlets," Genesis answered. "Elena, you wanted the blackened trout?"

"With rice as the side," she agreed.

The waitress wrote it down, and then she opened the bottle of wine for them and poured some into the glasses. "Very good. I'll be back to check on you in a few minutes. Please enjoy yourselves."

Elena tried a sip of her wine. It was stronger than what she was used to, but she found it to her liking.

"How do you like the wine?"

She nodded. "It's good. I've never tried this brand before."

He seemed satisfied with that, and he took a sip himself. "Now, I'd like to finish seeing to your ankle."

Elena flushed again, and she cursed her fair complexion and low blush factor. "You…you've already messed around with it."

Genesis reached for the ice and he poured some into the cloth napkin left for him, wrapping it into a neat little compress. "I don't want it to swell," he insisted as he got out of his chair and went to her side. He turned her chair despite her sputtered protest and he knelt down to take her ankle again. "No arguments."

She could have come up with a hundred arguments to that, if she weren't again distracted by the feel of his hands on her again. Though calloused from sword use and battle, they weren't rough as she might have expected of SOLDIER hands. He must moisturize. The thought of Genesis using hand lotion wasn't such a strange notion, to her. In fact, men that took care of themselves like that happened to be a turn-on for her.

"You've gone quiet," he observed. He squeezed her foot before applying the icepack he'd put together. "I expected more of a fight."

"I guess I don't feel much like arguing," she admitted, shutting her eyes unconsciously as he rubbed her foot. He finished securing the ice pack into place and he gave her foot one last, gentle rub before standing back up. She blinked her eyes and looked up at him, stricken by an attack of shyness. "Thanks."

"Better to be safe than sorry," he reasoned, and he took his seat again.

Elena reached for her wine again, and she reminded herself of Cissnei's warning against rebounding on this guy…or _any_ guy, for that matter. She needed to keep it simple and firmly discourage any attempts at intimacy when the night came to an end. It was a natural drive for men to become more predatory when they sensed vulnerability…or so she believed. She needed to keep her wits.

* * *

The night ended with a dessert that had Elena ready to pop. Her ankle was throbbing uncomfortably, despite Genesis applying fresh ice to it mid-way through the meal. She had to hand it to the man; he was an attentive date and a gentleman. The real test was about to happen, though. The meal was finished and paid for, and Genesis called the driver to pick them up at the entrance. He supported her steps as they left, though Elena insisted on wearing both heels, rather than walking barefoot through the establishment. She half-expected Genesis to try and carry her, but he seemed to sense she'd just say "no" to that.

She got into the car first and Genesis came in afterwards. "Where do you live?" he asked her, "or would you rather I have him drop you off at Headquarters?"

She wondered if he could sense her ambiguity. She didn't want to let on that she was anything less than confident, so she chose to let him take her home. "I live on 4th and Lester, at the apartment complex."

Genesis nodded and rolled down the privacy screen to give the driver the destination. When he finished, he raised the screen again and his glowing eyes sought out her ankle. "How is it feeling?"

"Not bad. I'll take some aspirin or something when I get home, elevate it and maybe use some Epsom salt. I should be fine by tomorrow."

He nodded. "Do you go through a lot of Epsom salt?"

She sensed a teasing tone, and she gave him a stern look and pursed her lips. "Are you implying I'm clumsy?"

"Not implying," he answered, lips twitching. "Observing."

She nudged him in the side. "I'm injured. Be nice."

"I beg your pardon," he said solemnly. "I shan't mention it again."

"Thank you. You're a gentleman."

The car stopped at their first destination, and Elena bit her lip. She'd told herself she didn't want to end up in a compromised position, but the nagging curiosity in her _really_ wanted to find out if he could apply that silver tongue of his to kissing the way he did with language.

"Do you think you'll need my assistance getting inside?"

She looked at him, and she thought she could see the silent question in his eyes. If she said "no", he wasn't likely to insist on accompanying her. This part was completely up to her. If she played the wounded damsel in distress now, he'd see right through it…but then, perhaps that was what he was hoping for.

"I…think I can manage," she said with some regret. "Unless the elevator's down again."

"Does it break down frequently?"

Wondering if she was imagining the faintly hopeful tone in his voice, she shrugged. "More than it should, yeah. You can probably tell the building is getting up there in age. They should probably look into replacing the lift altogether."

"Then maybe I should come with you, just in case," he offered. "At least to see you to your door."

Again, she could have turned him down, but she didn't. "That sounds reasonable."

* * *

Well, so much for not putting herself into a compromising position. Elena got to her door and Genesis bade her goodnight by softly nuzzling her cheek in an elegant, sensual gesture. She turned her head as he started to pull away, and their lips brushed. That did it for her. She grabbed hold of his suit and pulled him close for a real kiss, determined to find out if the heart-pounding, weak-kneed experience she usually felt with Tseng could be duplicated with another man.

It could. At least with Genesis, it could. He responded to the kiss immediately, one arm going around her waist to pull her closer. At first, he let her tongue into his mouth and he caressed it with his own, sensually and passionately. He caressed her face with his other hand and he took over dominance of the kiss, exploring her mouth with coaxing enthusiasm. She put her arms around his neck and pushed closer, her breasts crushing against his chest as she backed him into the wall. He grunted a bit with the impact, and his arm tightened around her waist impulsively when she stumbled.

This kiss seemed to go on and on, and before she knew what she was doing, Elena pulled on his tie and started to guide him toward her apartment door. She absently dug into the handbag hanging from her shoulder, blindly seeking out her keys. Screw common sense. What she needed right now was a good lay. Hell, she'd needed one of _those_ for some time now. She could worry about the consequences in the morning and put up with Cissnei's impending lecture.

Genesis pulled his mouth away from hers, breathing heavily as he steadied her. "I think," he said softly, huskily, "that I should say goodnight, now."

A thousand protests sprang to Elena's mind. He was more than ready for her…she'd felt the evidence of that when they were pressed so tightly against one another. "You don't want to come inside?"

He swallowed and smirked. "Oh, I'd love to. I won't, however. Not now."

Elena's frustration reached the boiling point. "What am I, a leper?"

"You're remarkably attractive for a leper, if you are," he assured her. He sighed. "It has less to do with your appeal than what remains of my morals."

She stepped back and put her hands on her hips, forgetting about the discomfort of her ankle. "Just what is _that_ supposed to mean? Do you want me or not?"

"Make no mistake, little goddess," he murmured, his burning gaze caressing her from head to toe, "I do want you. But I want you to want me, too."

"I thought that was pretty obvious," she said. "Do you think I try to drag _every_ guy I see into my apartment?"

"I don't recall alluding to that," he said calmly, though he was still breathing heavily and in a rather obvious state of arousal. "What I said was that I want you to want me. How that translates to—"

"Because it doesn't make sense!"

"Are you seeing me, or the lingering ghost of another relationship?"

Elena sighed and dropped her hands to her sides in defeat. "You're not coming in, then."

"Not tonight." He gave her a faintly pained smile. "Don't test my willpower, Elena. It's been a long time since I've had anyone." He took her hand and turned it over to kiss the palm. "Goodnight."

She sighed again, in abject disappointment. "I guess I should be thanking you for being a gentleman. Most guys wouldn't. Well, most _straight_ guys. You're straight, aren't you?"

He smirked at her. "I look forward to our next date."

"How do you know there's going to be one?"

Genesis shrugged. "Because I know your heart will heal, and I've made it on your list. Goodnight, Elena."

She watched him until he stepped into the elevator and was out of sight. When she was alone in the corridor, she sighed and rested her forehead against her apartment door.

"Cockblocked again," she muttered. "If it's not a dead Ancient, it's dead morals. Just my luck."

It occurred to her as she unlocked her door and stepped inside that Genesis hadn't really _answered_ her question, regarding his sexual preferences. She reasoned that he had to at least be bi, to react that way to her kiss. He'd said he hadn't had "anyone" in a while, though. He never specified whether that "anyone" had been male or female.

"Please tell me I'm not getting a crush on a gay guy," she sighed. "What, do I have a sign on me somewhere that says: 'Universe, pick on me! Victim here!'"

Whether Genesis was straight, bi or gay, it looked like the only action she'd be getting tonight would be self-service.

* * *

-To be continued


End file.
